


Making the Past, Present.

by Alastrine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Flicker, Marauders, Portia Harmen - Freeform, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-01-11 06:42:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alastrine/pseuds/Alastrine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over and while Voldemort is gone, it doesn't feel like victory. They've lost too many. The fates have allowed a chance to fix things before it gets to that, and she's been sent a little help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The war was over but the wizarding world was broken. Hermione sat on a pile of rubble in the great hall, staring at the dead. Voldemort was gone, but they had lost much... so many. It didn't feel like _victory_.

Draco Malfoy laid at the foot of the rubble she sat on, blood splattered across his pale cheeks, eyes hollow and unseeing. He had appeared at the steps of the resistance two weeks before the war. Exhausted but still in tact he made a unbreakable vow with Harry pledging himself to the cause, and shortly after cut his white blonde hair ragged and short with a pocket knife he borrowed.

She wasn't going to lie, especially to herself, she never liked Draco and probably never would have had he lived, but seeing him like that...

He died saving Ginny. Ginny who was engaged to Harry and four weeks pregnant. She had made Hermione swear not to tell a soul, if people knew, they wouldn't let her fight and they needed everyone to end this. Now no one will know... She died shortly after Draco, an avada to the back courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Molly flew into a rage unlike anything Hermione had ever witnessed. She threw Bellatrix around like a rag doll and _smiled_ when Bellatrix was laying limp and broken at her feet. She doesn't know who killed Molly, but an arm and half her face is missing.

Fred and George lay next to Draco, she has no idea how they died either but they have matching grins across their faces. Percy's sitting at their feet staring at them, like if he waits long enough they'll jump up and laugh at him for falling for their trick.

Arthur is staring out a window, she wouldn't blame him if he jumped. Percy and Charlie is all he has left. Charlie might not make it through the night.

Two motionless figures remain untouched in the middle of the hall. One desperately clinging to the other. Hermione hasn't had the courage to go say her final goodbye to them. Remus and Hermione had become close after he and Tonks fell apart, it was only natural since he had hidden in the library. She can't bear to look at him, to see him clinging on to Harry like that. Harry, her best friend. Gone.

Ron is still laying in the third floor corridor, right beside the door where they met fluffy. He had thrown himself onto Hermione, knocking her out but ultimately saving her. When she woke the war was over, and she didn't have the energy to pull Ron's body to the great hall.

She'd only been able to find nine survivors. Percy, Charlie, Arthur, Luna, Dean, Marcus Flint, Tonks, McGonagall and Cormac McLaggen.

Tonks stumbled over and sat next to her. “I can't believe they're all gone.”

Hermione nodded, afraid if she spoke it would make it real.

“This is wrong...” Tonks spoke weakly and hugged her tightly as if Hermione were the only thing keeping her on the ground. A moment later and she was stumbling away swaying.

It whispered through an empty passage. Quite but clear.

  


_Time has come and Time has gone;  
Yet Hogwarts had stood throughout it all._

  


Luna stumbled past and Hermione couldn't stand the sight. Luna had broken. The dreamy look her pale face had once donned had vanished and been replaced with that of a hardened solider.

Hermione vomited.

  


_But her walls have crumbled and her soul is gone;  
Turn back the clock to return what was forgot. _

  


She wiped her mouth and fell off the rubble. Holding her left arm, nursing what she was sure was at the very least a dislocated shoulder, she dragged her feet toward the voice. _Why not?_ She thought. _There's nothing else left, if I die following some creepy voice then they could just add me to the tally._

She came to a fork in the corridor, looking both ways, the left was partially blocked by rumble and quite frankly looked like a bitch to get through, the right was clear.

  


_The stars have aligned, the Fates are forlorn;  
and send a child that time has ignored. _

  


_Of course._ She sighed hearing the voice from the left and continued to drag herself through the castle, finally coming to a stop in front of a tapestry.

It looked brand new, which she had to admit, was a miracle considering that the castle was now nothing more then a glorified ruin. _Hogwarts; A History, is just about right._ She scoffed. The tapestry was dark with the night sky, stars and a full moon bright in its weaving.

  


_For their souls a trade must be made;_  
Sacrifice the present to dwell in the past,  
to fix the mistakes that have come to pass.

  


She frowned, studying the tapestrys constellations tracing them with her finger in the air, muttering their names under her breath.

  


_Time has come and time has gone;_  
yet Hogwarts had stood throughout it all.  
But her walls have crumbled, her soul is gone;  
turn back the clock to return what was forgot.  
The stars have aligned, the Fates are forlorn;  
and send a child that Time has ignored.  
For their souls a trade must be made;  
Sacrifice the present to dwell in the past,  
to fix the mistakes that have come to pass.  
The stars of yesterday hold the answer she seeks;  
to make the Dark Lord fall to his knees.

  


Her frown deepened turning the poem over in her head. “Turn back the clock... stars have aligned... stars of yesterday...”

Maybe it was a temporary loss of logic or just simply exhaustion, but all her mind could comprehend was the puzzle before her. The consequences of solving said puzzle wasn't even spared a thought. Leaning forward Hermione placed a hand on the night sky and slid her hand across making the stars spin backwards as if she'd turned the nights sky back into yesterdays. The weaved sky spun and spun picking up speed going faster and faster until it hit a dead stop and everything was still.

Her brow furrowed. “Well that was anticlimac-”

With a great gust of wind she was sucked towards the tapestry and into the darkness.

 

  
***

 

A girl with long chocolate brown curls and green-blue eyes stood in a portrait across the hall. “There goes another reality.” She sighed and clicked her tongue. “Gosh, I am going to be _mad_.” With those words the light dimmed and the world came to a stop.

 

  
***

 

On the battlefield a long figure stood in black dragon hide battle-gear. She walked along collecting wands of the fallen, picking up a interesting looking wand she examined it.

“Hmm, a clean nine inches, Vine wood and..” She pulled the wand up to her ear length-ways and nodded. “Dragon Heart-string.” Pocketing the wand she continued walking and throwing intact wands into a bag when the wind stopped, she stilled before throwing her hood back. Her long chocolate brown curls tumbled onto her shoulders, sharp green blue eyes scanned the battlefield. Fire had frozen mid-flicker, smoke hung in the air unmoving.

Her brows furrowed deep. “What in the name of Helga Hufflepuff is going on?” She muttered. Feeling a familiar tingle and tug on her upper arm, she sighed deeply and dropped the bag of wands moments before her upper arm was grabbed and she was yanked from the timeline.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions asked and answers spoken. However you probably have even more now.

With a loud thump, a girl with bushy brown hair flew out of the tapestry at the feet of one Albus Dumbledore. Albus tilted his head and frowned in thought.

“She's late... and unconscious it seems.” Another girl pushed herself off the wall and moved towards her checking her vitals. “She needs healing but she doesn't need extensive care. Tully!” One popping noise later and a well-dressed house elf appeared curtsying. “Please take Ms Granger here to the hospital wing and inform the nurse to keep her asleep until the Headmaster sees fit.”

“You could have healed her.” He stated, her green eyes turning to his blue ones sharply.

“She would have started asking questions the moment she woke up. She’s good at those, questions, always asks the right ones. I need to know you're on board with this Albus.” He nodded and when she joined him, started walking at a leisurely place through the empty castle.

“How is time being rearranged with regards to Hermione and yourself, surely they cannot expect you to keep an extinct surname?” He enquired carefully.

“I assume you are aware of the Harmen brothers? In the original timeline, they die tonight along with their daughters and George's wife. Before you do anything drastic, it is a fixed point in time and cannot be stopped, believe me, I have tried, the more you delay it the more horrific the murder becomes.” She sent a grave look towards him and he nodded once in acceptance.

“You intend to take the place of Emilia Granger and Desdemona Harmen.”

“Yes, Hermione and Emilia are cousins. George Harmen was Emilia's step-father. Hermione's uncle died when Emilia was three. Both Desdemona and Emilia were home-schooled and no one saw much of either child. Hermione will take her cousin's place permanently, I assume the Fates have set everything in motion genetically, but she will have to take a potion to cement it.”

“And yourself?”

“The Harmen's were the last of my brother's descendants, head of house goes to me regardless, sadly I will have to take their surname. Should Hermione choose this life, Emilia and Desdemona will fade out tonight and Hermione and I will need to be there to replace them. I assume Emilia will take the place of baby Hermione, however, I am not sure what will be of Desdemona.”

“And you would like my blessing regardless of the fact that you will continue despite whether you receive it or not?”

She turned to face him. “I know we have had our differences Albus but surely you know this is bigger than that. I-I would eventually like to earn your forgiveness as well.”

“Nonsense. It was not your fault, we will talk no more of it.” He nodded absently. “You have always refused to fight in the foreground, to stop you from becoming known. What, I wonder, would encourage you to break rules that you've had for centuries I wonder? Your freedom perhaps? But then why would the Fates bring another person in? Why haven't you simply smothered Tom in his crib? Or perhaps placed him in a loving home?”

“My freedom has indeed been offered. As for Hermione, she was best friends with James Potters son, Harry, who was the one to ultimately kill Voldemort the time before this, yes I could do my own research but it’s time-consuming. I might have plenty but this timeline does not. As for Riddle, without this war, the prejudice moves so slowly that no one even remembers a time when muggle borns were not persecuted.”

He pondered her carefully for a moment. “You’ve been avoiding this.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I have found that there are very few times that you are not well informed, and if you aren’t you’ve made it your business to _not_ know.”

Portia narrowed her eyes at him.

“You’ve spoken to Augusta.”

He looked into her brilliant green eyes.

She smirked.

“You don’t actually think that little trick is going to work do you?”

“I suppose not, no.”

Moments passed, the two calculating each other carefully.

“Among other things I was avoiding you.”

“It has been years, Portia, I am an old man.”

“It feels like minutes.”

With that sentence Albus understood.

“What do you plan on telling Miss Granger?”

“ _You’re_ telling her the truth.”

 “Ah! So I am to do the dirty work!” He chuckled.

Portia smiled at him. “She trusts you, in the reality she's from, she has never even seen me. However, I do suggest giving her a calming draught. Send Tully when you've finished and I'll come down so she can meet me until then I'll be working. Oh and please make it _very_ clear that she will not be sent on any kind of order business until she finishes school, she's stubborn but we have some time, and she should use it to get her NEWTS.”

Coming to a stop outside the hospital wing she handed him a phial of glowing lilac ooze. “Make sure she drinks the lot.” She added before heading down the hall.

Albus smirked and couldn't help but add one last comment to an old school friend. “You do realise you'll have to call me headmaster right?” His eyes twinkling.

Portia turned to look at him with a bewildered look on her face, before narrowing her eyes playfully. “You're going to enjoy my pain entirely too much aren't you?”

With one last chuckle, Albus entered the hospital wing.

* * *

 

Portia was finishing the last mail order form for their things, clothes, school supplies, trunks, they had to start from stratch.

She’d had to release a property from the portfolio to live in before the holidays.

“Portia, the Headmaster is asking Tully to fetch you. Miss Granger is ready to see you.” Tully curtsied.

“Thank you, Tully, if you could send these at exactly 7am tomorrow morning I would be appreciative, that will be all for today.”

Portia made her way through the castle finally reaching the hospital wing, she pushed open the doors to find an incensed Hermione and an amused Albus Dumbledore.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked between the two.

“So you're supposed to be my cousin?” Hermione snapped. “And what? You didn't think it necessary to meet me?”

“Considering you've spent the past year in a war I thought perhaps you'd prefer to hear of your situation from someone you respect and trust instead of someone you don't know.” Portia rolled her eyes and directed her attention to Albus. “Has she taken the potion?”

“No, she wanted to speak with you before hse swallowed a potion of unknown origins. Inteligent girl.” He smiled.

“The Headmaster briefly explained your condition. I would like to know more.” Hermione nodded.

“I've been waiting seven hundred years to 'know more,' what makes you think you're so special?” Portia furrowed her brow in annoyance.

“I did warn you that she does not know much of her condition,” Albus added sombrely.

Apparently, Hermione did not like this answer because her face set into a deep frown. “If I am to spend the rest of my life as your cousin I'd like to know a little about you.”

“Understandable.” Portia pulled her wand out and cast several wards around Hermione's bed, before summoning a chair for herself and Albus. “I was Born Portia Wyght, November 4th, 1214\. I received my curse on the eve of Yule after I insulted the Fates. The Fates did not take it kindly and this is my punishment. I walk along time and help the Fates shift society in the right direction across the world.”

“So basically you're their pawn? If they're so all-powerful why don't they just do it?” Hermione asked.

“It's called free will, they can't make someone do something they don't want to. So I help people get where they need to go, wherever that may be. Everything has its time and everything ends.” Portia pulled out a leather pouch and took a sweet from it before offering it to Hermione, who refused and then tossed it to Albus.

“So what happens if it doesn't go the way the Fates want it to?” Hermione asked bringing a pillow forward to hug it.

“I forgot how quick you are.” Portia smiled. “I get yanked from the timeline and I have to try again, I've been involved in more wars than you could name.”

“Wait... If you can go back through time without consequence, why not just end it at the source? Why haven't you finished him off when he was a boy?” Hermione asked looking utterly bewildered.

Portia looked between the two astonished. “Even if I was willing to _murder a_ _child_ , it wouldn't fix the problem. Riddle's war brings the ugliness out into the light, without the war the prejudice gets increasingly worse at such a slow pace that no one notices and more people than you could possibly imagine end up dying before their time. As sick and twisted as it is, the fact remains, the world needs him.”

“But we can save them, right? That's why I'm here, not just to save the people I love but everyone that could be and those who were never given a choice. We can save them by ending it here?” Hermione bit her lip nervously.

“I can't guarantee that every soul will be saved, but I have a good feeling about this.” Portia smiled.

“I think you will find Miss Granger, that Portia will be particularly passionate about winning this war as she's been offered a place in this time should she succeed,” Albus added before selecting another sweet from the pouch.

“They're letting you stay if we win? Why? Why after all this time?”

“I'm not allowed to be a notable person in history or people will start to take notice. My job requires being able to sink into the background, to be unimportant. This timeline will require me to fight not just on the front lines but alongside the Order and people who will surely make the papers once we win it. Any chance of anonymity will be destroyed.”

Hermione nodded vacantly, her mind processing all the new information. “What does the potion do?”

“It cements your lifeline here in 1976. Over the next couple of days, your old memories will turn into memories of a favourite book instead of reality. In place of those you'll grow memories of the life you would have had, had you been born here and Emilia Granger will be born in your place in 1979.

If you take the potion we'll take their place at midnight tonight just before the Death Eaters attack the house, we'll escape and be safely tucked away in the Leaky Cauldron until Albus 'finds' us and offers us a place at Hogwarts.”

“And then we start our last year at school.” Hermione nodded.

“You'll be attending school with many of your ex-classmates parents, do you think you can handle that Miss Granger?” Albus asked kindly.

“If the potion does as Portia says then yes I should be fine.” Hermione's head shot up and she stared at them. “I don't have a wand!”

“Pulling a spare from her pocket she handed it to Hemione. “I know it isn’t the same but we can head to Olivanders tomorrow. I have some work to do and I'm sure the Headmaster does as well, I'll return at ten tonight with a change of clothes, we'll head down to Hogsmeade and I'll apparate us to Harmen Cottage. Until then, take the potion and get some sleep, you'll need it.” Passing the phial from Albus to Hermione, she watched Hermione gulp it down before heading out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flying the coop

Portia walked into the hospital wing as the clock struck ten. Tossing a bag onto Hermione's lap she took a seat as Hermione slipped behind a dressing screen silently.

“Once Emilia and Desdemona fade at eleven thirty the family's memories will be swapped from them to us. The attack begins at twelve, do not attack, only defensive spells and try not to use advanced magic, we can't risk drawing attention to ourselves.” Portia flicked through the latest issue of The Prophet.

“So what? We just leave the family to die?”

“It's a fixed point in time, the more you delay it the more gruesome their death. Been there done that, you'll walk away more devastated than if you had just let them be Avada'd the first time round, believe me.”

Hermione emerged from behind the screen in dragon hide boots, high-waisted jeans, a tucked in white tee and a frown. “I hate the 70's, this feels so unnatural.”

Portia laughed loudly. “You think this is bad I wore heavy velvet dresses in my time. If I never touch velvet again it will be too soon.” Standing Portia walked with Hermione out of the Hospital wing and down the corridors to the entrance hall where a carriage was waiting for them.

“How many will there be?” Hermione's fingers brushed the handle of her wand as she sat down inside.

“Last time there were about seven and while I don't expect that to change, there is a possibility. Emilia and Desdemona aren't apart of the timeline anymore and things are changing to compensate for what would have happened had we been a part of this time since the beginning. So, in all honesty, I can only give you educated predictions.” Portia sat opposite and tightened the laces on her converses before sliding her wand into a holster at her wrist.

Portia smiled kindly. “Hope you're ready for this, we're here.”

Hermione's nerves sparked as the coach slowed to a stop in front of The Three Broomsticks. Portia jumped out and took Hermione's hand once she stepped onto the ground, after the tight squeezing feeling that apparation brings they arrived at what was obviously the back of a rather large but charming cottage.

Portia walked up to the door, grabbing a hold of the handle the lock glowed briefly before clicking, she opened it to find two girls sitting to the side. One was casually flicking through a magazine, brown almost black hair tied to the side, eyes the same trademark green-blue of Portia's scanned the pages. The other girl had smooth rusty brown waves and Hazel eyes that were flicking between Hermione and Portia.

“Do calm down Emilia, there is nothing we can do, it's up to them now. Make sure you end this, will you? I'm not cut out for this war nonsense.” Desdemona drawled, having placed the magazine down she was currently pulling off Jewellery and handing it to Portia.

“Oh, of course. Merlin forbid you should be put in an uncomfortable position.” Portia drawled back in the same bored aristocratic tone.

“You're Hermione right?” Emilia spoke pulling off a charm bracelet and putting it in Hermione's hand as she nodded. “When the time comes could you possibly come see me and my new parents? I'd like to know a bit about magic before entering Hogwarts.”

Hermione smiled kindly. “I'll teach you and my old parents all I can, I promise. You know, if I live through the war.”

Portia and Hermione stood back and watched the girls as they took each other’s hands and waved, their images slowly melting into nothingness.

“I didn't know they would be aware they were leaving,” Hermione spoke quietly.

“Free will. They had a choice too, luckily everyone agreed, they'll have a longer, better life next time round, don't feel sorry for them. Their lives just haven't begun yet.” Portia started up the stairs. “Come on they're waiting for us.”

Edmund Harmen sat patiently in the parlour with his brother and sister-in-law awaiting their children. Portia walked in and tipped her head in acknowledgement. “Aunt Catherine, Uncle George, Father. She took a seat as Hermione copied her slight bow.

“Uncle Edmund, Mother, Father.” Hermione took the seat next to Portia.

“We apologise for the rude awakening girls, however, I fear we do not have much time. They’re coming.” Edmund stepped forward. “We need you to know, that no matter the outcome, we made our choice and we could never for a second regret it.” He spoke directly to Hermione.

Hermione frowned. “What?”

“They took a public stand against the Pureblood rising. I’m guessing they didn’t take it well?” Portia asked.

“No,” Catherine stated coldly. “They did not. We’ve been warned of an attack. Tonight.”

“We’ve made arrangements, you are to leave tonight,” George grunted in his deep gravelly voice.

Portia glanced at Hermione as her eyes darted around, trying to grasp the situation she had walked into.

“Take these.” A letter and shrunken package were shoved into Portia’s pockets. “And this, do not open it until you get outside, it will portkey you both someplace safe.” He placed an object wrapped in cloth into her hands looking into her eyes. “Be careful.”

“Yes, father.” Portia nodded her head dutifully.

A tinkle of glass sounded and a tingle flowed through Portia’s body signalling the breakdown of their wards. She looks toward her father only to find his eyes already locked onto hers.

“Run.”

Portia turned, grabbed Hermione’s hand in an unrelenting grip and sprinted from the room.

They flew down the stairs as quiet as possible, reaching the kitchen Portia pushed Hermione into the pantry and closed the door.

A booming crash came from their left, the kitchen door had obviously been removed from its hinges.

Hermione tapped them on the head and disillusioned them as Portia pulled them to the ground.

The door opened and their breathing stopped.

There stood a ragged vicious looking man whom Hermione did not recognise.

Another moment passed and the man slammed the door shut.

Stand Portia began pushing food aside until finally, she reached a lone can, pushing it back with the tip of her wand the bottom half of the wall slid back and across, revealing a passage.

Portia crawled through and practically hauled Hermione through to the other side just as a high pitched scream rang through the house. Portia slammed a lever down sealing the door, and hit a button, making the door disappear completely.

“Are we really just going to leave them to die?!” Hermione asked panicked and flabbergasted.

“Yes.”  Portia flew down the dark cramped corridor lit only by a light Lumos, they slipped out a gap in the brickwork and entered a narrow alley, dark and silent.

Portia gripped Hermione and pulled them toward the exit. Finally out in the open Portia pulled the cloth covered object out, just as she began to pull it off something clamped just above her left elbow piercing the skin, throwing her fist back in pain it connected with flesh with a satisfying crunch.

Hermione turned just in time to see Portia's fist connect with Greybacks snarling face. Raising her wand she shouted, “Duro!” a second before Portia's “Reducto” was sent and she stared horrified as a stone Greyback smashed into a thousand pieces.

Portia paused for a split second, before shoving the other side of the sugar cup into Hermione's hand.

Fresh mountain air filled their lungs as they landed. Sitting up Hermione eyed the log cottage. “Where are we?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Portia pushed herself up, leaving her left pinned to her body. “We need to to leave.”

Hermione followed her into the cottage, her eyes stuck on her arm. “You’re bleeding, quite a lot.”

“Another reason to leave.”

Hermione spotted a cabinet filled with potions, rushing over, she opened it and started pulling out anything she thought might help.

“Stop, Hermione,” Portia was suddenly inches from her face, “we need to leave, we can’t be sure that this place isn’t compromised. I know, I’m bleeding, I know I need to be treated, but we need to leave, I promise I will get fixed up as soon as we leave, I swear.”

Hermione nodded and threw the powder into the fireplace for them.

“Potter Manor.”


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stepped into a brightly lit receiving room just in time to see Portia literally tumble out after her. “Oh, my! Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, I just can't Floo.” Portia stood up and attempted to dust herself off but ended up clutching her arm.

Hermione blinked absorbing that information.

“I know we were supposed to go to the Leaky but I'm fairly sure he bit into bone and I can't go to St. Mungo's. Wispy!” With a small pop, a little house elf in a pretty yellow cotton dress appeared. “Could you please go wake Mr and Mrs Potter, please make sure no one else comes down here.”

“Why Potter manor then?” Hermione asked while she started to clean up the bite. “This is really nasty, are you sure he bit you?”

“The bastard sharpened his teeth to a point,” Portia growled before taking a deep breath and tried to ignore the almost overwhelming pain throbbing through her arm. “There are some witches out there who can remember their past lives and as a consequence every timeline I’ve had reset. It's an exclusively female trait and they're extremely rare, in this time there's only two, Augusta Longbottom and Dorea Potter.” Portia gritted her teeth.

“What has that got to do with this?” Hermione gestured toward Portia's blood soaked arm.

“She heals faster than us and walking into St Mungos for most wounds would raise a lot of questions she can’t answer.” An older woman with long black curly hair muttered as she bustled in, a greying spectacled man following her.

“Since my wife isn't bothering with the tiresome greetings polite society demands, I think I'm safe assuming you are more then I remember.” The man spoke carefully as he sat.

Dorea scoffed as she gathered supplies from a closet in a far corner. She moved swiftly to Portia summoning a stool for them both and spread the supplies out on the table. “Hermione, go sit.” She said nudging her out of the way.

“Ignore the attitude, she hates patching me up.” Portia sighed with relief as a numbing charm hit her arm.

“Charlus, you know Hermione Granger, originally she was best friends with James' son Harry, what she's doing in this time I haven't the foggiest but the girl with an arm like a chew toy is Portia Wyght, now Portia Harmen, she does deeds for the Fates,” Dorea explained bluntly as she went about helping the bone heal. “Drink this.” She thrust a phial towards her.

“Is there anything we can do for you besides patch you up?” Charlus inquired.

“There was an attack on Harmen Cottage tonight. Catherine, George and Edmund Harmen have fallen. Oh and Hermione and I accidentally killed Fenrir Greyback, she turned him to stone a second before my reducto hit him, blew him to pieces.” At Charlus raised brows, she backtracked. “It was purely accidental I swear, I won't lie, I meant to blow an arm or two off but not kill him.”

“Nothing too violent then.” Dorea drawled.

Portia levelled a glare at her. “That freak is the reason my bone is splintered and my arm looks like mincemeat. He had his teeth sharpened to points, obviously, he picked up a taste for human flesh outside of his lycanthropy. I won't be made to feel sorry the monster is dead.”

“Not all werewolves are monsters.” Hermione spoke, quick to jump to their defence but turned a quizzical look to Dorea and Charlus when they chuckled quietly.

Dorea turned a kind smile to Hermione. “Believe me, young lady, Portia would know more than most that not all lycanthropes are monsters, she's spent hundreds of years researching a cure.”

Portia slumped a defeated look to the floor when Hermione looked at her curiously, they didn't have time for this.

“My family, the Wyght's, started researching when my baby brother Caspian was bitten. Back then, if people found out someone was infected, they were executed. The search for a cure has been passed down since his murder. Actually, I think Edmund and George had just finished the Wolfsbane potion.” Portia frowned thoughtfully.

“Wait, but Damocles invented the Wolfsbane.” Hermione frowned.

Portia scoffed. “Damocles is a talented potioneer, but absolutely terrified of werewolves. He inherited the recipe in your timeline because our fathers knew he'd get it published. Now the timeline has changed he'll have to find another claim to fame.” She turned to Dorea. “All done?”

“Yes, I suggest you take it easy on that arm but we both know you'd do however you, please. Did you need a place to stay?” Dorea inquired kindly, her demeanour slipping back to its usual disposition now she wasn't irritated and worried.

“No thank you Dorea, Hermione and I are due to meet Albus at the Leaky in the early morn. We're enrolling at Hogwarts for our last year. Yes, we would be delighted to join you for Christmas and I promise to keep an eye on Hermione and your boys.” Portia smiled, rolling her eyes fondly as Dorea swept her into a loose hug, mindful of her arm.

Dorea turned to Hermione. “Now listen here young lady, you might not remember me but I certainly remember you. Forget about the war, there's nothing you can do for now. Study hard you're a brilliant witch and I expect top notch marks from you but please remember to surface from the books to have some fun and make some memories sweetheart. You're here forever, make it count.” Dorea swept her into a bone crushing hug and Hermione felt overwhelmed with the affection Dorea spoke to her with.

Portia looked over from her quick discussion with Charlus, regarding reports and inheritances, and smiled. “Looks like it’s time to go. Thanks for the help Charlus.” She smiled shaking his hand.

“Our pleasure and no backing out of Christmas, you'll have Dorea pulling out her hair with worry if you do.” Charlus chuckled eyes glinting with mischief.

* * *

 

 

Hermione flopped onto a bed exhausted. “This is too much. In 48 hours, I've finished a war, been sucked through a tapestry, been told I have a new life, lost my family, again, blown Greyback up, met Harry's grandparents and my mind is already planning a study plan now that I know Dorea expects top marks! Life was not meant to be this hard.”

Portia smiled sadly. “It'll get better, of course then it's going to get worse as the war breaks out but, ultimately things will work out. I'll do everything in my power to make it so. Here take this, it'll help you sleep. Dumbledore will be around in the morn and after breakfast, you'll go with him back to the castle while I handle the inheritance at Gringotts and look at some of our other properties to reside in after school.”

“I'm going to research you when I get to Hogwarts,” Hermione said eyeing her before she swallowed the potion down.

Portia chuckled. “I expect nothing less. Ask Albus, he's probably kept track of me somehow.”

Hermione woke to the smell of bacon and the sound of quiet talking. Standing up she stretched and padded toward the voices.

“I don't know how having such a key player in the war knocked out this early will affect us, to be honest, and it worries me.”

“Then we will have to be patient and let the chips fall as they may.” Albus' calm voice floated through the room as Hermione got closer.

“Oh yes, let’s leave it to the Fates they've done such a wonderful job so far.” Portia drawled out as Hermione pushed the door open, a second later a crystal ball exploded into pieces. Hermione dropped to the floor covering her head, Albus and Portia barely flinching before Albus flicked his wand cleaning up the mess.

“One might think you would have learnt your lesson by now Portia.” Albus smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

“What was that?” Hermione asked flabbergasted as she took a seat at the table.

“Occasionally I make a derogatory comment about the Fates and they feel the need to remind me they are watching by exploding something near me, or on one occasion, hitting me with lightening. It's how we show we care.” Portia informed her with a sarcastic smile before sneering at her tea.

“Not in the best of moods is she?” Hermione turned to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled. “She's not what you would call a morning person.”

“How's your arm?” Changing the subject seems the best course of action Hermione thought.

Portia pulled off her thin jumper leaving just a white singlet covering her torso. There, where just last night Hermione had seen jagged, ripped flesh, was a set of scars, pink and tender looking.

“Well, that just adds to the never-ending list of questions I have about your sheer existence. You've given me so much to research I'm not even sure where I should start.”

“Well, Curious George, you can prod me with a stick some other time. I'm off to do boring adult stuff and have an argument with a few goblins.” Hermione watched Portia stand and pull on a cloak. “You are going with Dumbledore to Hogwarts; we're staying there from now on. Also, I'd like you to sit down at some point before term starts and write down everything you know about Riddle and the war. It may be easier to dictate it to a quill, also try to remember that the most mundane details are sometimes the most important. Right, off I pop.” With a quiet crack, she was gone and Hermione turned her gaze to Dumbledore.

“Who is George?” Hermione looked toward Dumbledore perplexed.

“I haven't the foggiest, but I rather look forward to finding out. Don't you?” Hermione shook her head at Dumbledore's eager expression and dug into her breakfast.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione sat in an old armchair in Gryffindor tower. A week had passed since they had taken up residence in an attic dorm Hermione was sure had been sealed off in her time. Tomorrow, the rest of the students would arrive and to say she was a little nervous would be an understatement, so to remedy the displaced energy. she was curled up in an armchair with a book and parchment, happily scratching away with a quill.

Portia flopped onto the couch beside her and huffed. “I feel like a grown up, I've discovered I don't much care for it. Remind me why I want this curse lifted again?”

“Consistently having to leave your friends, or watch them grow old, not being able to have a family, never being able to stay in one place for long,” Hermione spoke absent-mindedly.

“Well, there's that I suppose. What are you working on anyway? Term starts in two days, so if you tell me school work I may throw my shoe at you.” She asked kicking off her boots.

“You, actually you’ve come at a good time because I can’t find anything on your healing. I’ve searched every healing and lore tome Hogwarts has and there’s nothing.” Hermione sat back and ran a hair through her frizzed out hair.

“I try not to think about it, there’s a very real chance they did something barbaric.” Portia stared at the ceiling. “No point pondering things we can’t control, though.” Portia, she rolled onto her stomach to look at Hermione. “I avoided honestly don’t know much of this generation of wizards. I know their parents and children but I always seemed to be doing things elsewhere when this part of history comes about.”

“So you know nothing of James, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Peter?” Hermione frowned.

“I know Peters story. About his sister I mean.”

“Sister? I didn’t know he had a sister.” Her frown deepened as she tried to recall if anyone had ever mentioned her.

“That doesn’t surprise me, Jesse was… _is_ a very sick little girl who happens to be a squib, if the blood fanatics found out they would falsely link the two, spout some rubbish about her magic being stolen and her becoming sick. The last thing Peter’s mother wanted was for them to use Jesse to feed a rubbish prejudice. So they did the best they could, they’ve made her comfortable and hid her existence from the world. Very few people know.” Portia smiled sadly.

“If they went to all that trouble to prevent her being used to feed propaganda why did Pettigrew betray them and join Voldemort?” It didn’t make sense to Hermione. Either there was something she was missing or Peter was a huge prat. 

“Riddle is extremely charismatic, he’s the type of person that could make you see red and convince you it was green in the same sentence. There is a reason so many were fooled, why so many followed him and didn’t realise what was truly going on until it was too late. He deals with the desperate and the depraved. If you were a monster he showed you a home, a place to be accepted. If you had a weakness he promised the solution. Whether it was money, power, or perhaps a cure?”

Hermione’s heart ached. “He risked everything he held dear, to try to save her.”

“He promised Peter a cure," Portia confirmed, "Of course, Riddle couldn’t provide one though, so when he betrayed the Potters he lost everything and the only thing he had left was Riddle.” Portia’s brow lowered in pity. “Poor kid.”

Hermione was shell shocked. “Wait, so Pettigrew betrayed his friends to try to save little sister, not because he was a wormy little coward?”

“He promised Peter a cure. Of course, Riddle couldn’t though, so when he betrayed the Potters he lost everything and the only thing he had left was Riddle.” Portia’s brow lowered in pity. “Poor kid.”

Hermione was shell shocked. “So Pettigrew betrayed his friends to try to save little sister, not because he was a wormy little coward?”

“Well, he isn’t exactly the bravest but he didn’t sell them out just to save his own arse if that’s what you’re asking.”

Hermione placed her books down carefully and looked at her cousin thoughtfully. “How close were we the other times you fought?”

Portia's eyes widened. “Honestly, not that close, can’t stand out remember, but I’ve always been a peculiarly observant person, even as a child.”

“It’s just… you seem to know me down to the smallest mannerisms. It’s a little unnerving since I don’t know yours that well as of yet. I sort of feel like I’m behind the class because I don’t know things I feel as though I should.” Hermione fiddled with a loose bit of parchment.

Portia smiled sympathetically. “I’m a fairly simple person really. I love music, Quidditch, and food. Oh and I can drink a leprechaun under the table.” Portia's smile spread into a proud grin as Hermione’s features moved into a disapproving frown.

“I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of.”

“Obviously you haven’t seen how much a leprechaun can drink then.” Portia scoffed. “Better catch some shut eye; we’ve got an entire school to welcome home tomorrow.” Portia stood picking up a pile of Hermione’s research and headed up to the dorm they had to themselves for the year.

“Right” Hermione nodded picking the other pile up and followed up the stairs. A swirl of magic clouded her vision and she gasped as she dropped her books.

Portia, hearing the gasp from their dorm, came sprinting down the stairs. “What is it, are you okay?” Frantic green-blue eyes searched Hermione’s clouded brown ones.

“N-nothing, I just, I think the last of my old memories has finally been closed away. They, they don’t feel real and now I’ve got ones of Mum and George. There are ones with you and your dad too. It’s the strangest sensation, it’s like I’m watching a film in fast forward but still absorbing the movie.” Hermione finally blinked out of it and looked at Portia with a mixture of disbelief and grief.

“My old life is really gone isn’t it?” A tear slipped from her eye and started its slow descent down her cheek.

Portia looked at her with a sad smile and wiped the tear away with her thumb. “You’ll see them again. No, it won’t be the same and I am, really truly sorry for that. I’ve seen you be so very happy there and it pains me to know that my own inadequacy has brought you here, but I think if you tried if _we_ tried, we could be happy here too.” Portia wrapped her arms Hermione and held her tight.

“It’s not your fault it’s Tom Riddles. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.” Hermione sniffed, missing Portia's face flinch visibly.

Suddenly feeling very old Portia sighed and directed her up the stairs. “Come on, some sleep will do you some good.”

* * *

 

 

Hermione bit her lip and rubbed at the ink stains on her hands as she sat at the front of the Gryffindor table waiting for the rest of the school to arrive.

“You’re going to chew that thing off if you keep it up you know,” Portia said from the floor.

“Would you get off the floor? I hardly think the Professors are impressed that you’re lying there.” Hermione snapped.

Rolling her eyes Portia stood up and slid herself into the seat next to Hermione. “I hardly think they care, you, on the other hand, are exuding enough nervous energy for the both of us, would you kindly _calm down_?”

“I’m sorry it’s just I miss our family. It’s the oddest feeling because I didn’t really know them and now I have to meet all these people I’ve heard stories about and…”

“Okay firstly, those memories are real, the other reality is an echo, nothing more. So what’s really bothering you?”

“What if they don’t like me and I don’t get to see Harry ever again?” Hermione whispered.

“Then I’ll kidnap him for you.” Portia shrugged.

“Portia!” Hermione shrieked her eyes wide and horrified.

Portia chuckled. “I was joking, take a breath. Besides you’re Hermione freaking Granger. Enough said.”

“What I am is the know-it-all new kid with bushy hair.”

Portia blinked at her.

“You were always a bushy haired know it all, that’s why you survived, hell it’s why Harry survived. Okay so the bushy hair didn’t exactly help, but it didn’t hinder either. Besides you’re my cousin, I quite like your hair and from what I’ve heard you aren’t going to be the only know-it-all here, I’m fairly sure Lily Evans will happily share that title with you. Isn’t that her walking through the doors now?”

Sure enough, a girl with long sleek red hair strolled through the doors and stilled when she noticed them. Portia spied Albus gesture her over to them before he stood and strolled over to them himself.

“Miss Evans, I would like you to introduce you to Miss Portia Harmen and Miss Hermione Granger, they will be joining us for their last year. Ladies this is Lily Evans, our head girl and a fellow Gryffindor.” Dumbledore smiled kindly at the two.

Lily’s eyes were wide. “Oh, you… ah, I’m sorry for your loss, the Daily Prophet reported it as a ‘tragic accident’ on the front cover but there’s been a lot of ‘tragic accidents’ recently. Anyone with half a brain knows there’s more to it, although, from my understanding, most people did believe you to be missing.”

“Well, it helps when very few people know what you look like, dodging any reporters was more a matter of walking past than a stealth mission.” Portia chuckled as Dumbledore strolled away.

“You seem well considering the circumstances,” Lily noted sitting opposite them.

“We knew something was going to happen, the house had been tense for months before the attack. We had two choices, wallow in self-pity and grief, or get our NEWTS and help finish what our parents started.” Hermione stated with a determined glint in her eye.

Lily smiled. “So basically there was really only one viable option.”

“Exactly. The hall’s filled up fast.” Portia noted nodding towards the last couple of stragglers.

“Oh Merlin, Hermione I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to sit beside you.” Lily rushed out before literally crawling under the table to the other side of Hermione.

Portia boggled at her. “What on earth was that about?”

“See the four guys who just walked in like they’re kings? The one with the glasses has been bothering me to date him since our first year, unfortunately, I have to share the heads dorms with the jerk this year and I’d like to spend as much time avoiding him as possible.”

Hermione couldn’t help the grin that spread. “So you’re hiding?”

Lily glared. “Just because I’m a Gryffindor doesn’t mean I can’t recognise the pros and cons of flight and fight.” She sniffed.

“Well luckily you won’t have to explain that to them, he just sat down with the twat who’s winking at everyone and Dumbledore looks ready to bring the first years in.” 

As Portia watched the sorting she couldn’t help but remember all the times she’d done this before, the people she’d sat with, watched out for, laughed with. She took a deep breath and tried not to feel so tired, so old. _One last time_ , she told herself _, just get through this one last time and there’ll be no more repeats, no watching the same people die. One last time and you can grow old._ The thought made her smile, just a little.

Portia wasn’t pushed out of her thoughts until dessert had vanished and Hermione was nudging her looking worried.

“Are you feeling alright? You barely said anything at dinner.” Hermione gnawed at her lip.

“I’m fairly sure I told you, you’d chew that thing off if you kept it up.” Portia gave a half smile, her eyes glittering with humour.

Hermione rolled her eyes in both relief and annoyance. “I’m sure you did, but as you have probably noticed I listen to you about as much as you listen to me.”

Portia glared playfully. “I can’t tell if you’re stating the obvious or taking a jab at me.”

“With the quick wit I’ve witnessed tonight, she’s probably taking a jab at you.” Lily smiled. “I’m assuming you‘ve learnt your way around the castle so I won’t bother finding someone to escort you or drag you along the first year tour, although I’m tempted to just to escape from Potter.” She rolled her eyes.

“James Potter is the obsessive nutcase? Oh, I can’t wait to tell Dorea.” Portia grinned evilly at which Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Dorea is James’ mother, lovely woman mind you. She’s invited us for Christmas so we aren’t alone.” Hermione explained.

“Oh, pity she’s got him for a son.” Lily shrugged. “I better be off, see you in class tomorrow!” With that Lily was swallowed into the crowd.

“Better get going, hopefully, we can make a quick escape into the dorms during the crowd confusion.” Hermione smiled at the challenge and took Portia by the hand dodging and weaving them through the crowd.

They made it into their dorms with only one minor scrape and honestly Hermione had, had no idea whether to frown or laugh when Portia had started ranting in fluent Spanish scaring the third year away.

Lying on her bed drifting to sleep she decided that perhaps it was okay to be amused by her cousin's antics, but perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to tell her as much. _I wouldn’t want to encourage that sort of behaviour,_ she thought sleepily, _but then how much influence do I really have with someone as old as her?_ Questions to be pondered with an alert mind she decided.


	6. Chapter 6

“What should I be when I grow up?” Portia asked as she flicked through a pamphlet on ministry jobs.

“How about you concentrate on getting your NEWTS first?” Hermione raised a brow, hauling her books from one hip to the other.

“You realise I’ve done them several times before right? The only way I’ll get anything below an O is if I did it on purpose, that’s why my records are sealed. I forfeit any award I might be eligible for and keep people's sticky noses out of my business.” Portia shrugged “Hey what do you think of spell research?”

“The only thing I’ve read about spell research is the people who were killed doing it. Besides, I should think that becoming an Auror be more useful with the upcoming events. You could always switch professions after.” Hermione smiled. “We better get a move on, we don’t want to be late-“

“She’s back! She’s back! The ickle-ageless one is back!” Peeves danced above their heads before swooping down to examine Hermione. “You brought a friend. She smells new!”

“She is new. How have you been Peeves?” Portia smiled fondly.

Hermione watched the interaction completely befuddled. Peeves smiled wide and began to dash and swoop, sparks left in his wake. Obviously thinking he was rather impressive, and honestly, he was… just a little bit.

Portia tilted her head towards her and gestured silently down the hall, Hermione didn’t have to the smartest witch of her age to know what that meant so careful and quiet as she could she headed down the hall and headed toward Transfiguration.

Walking into Transfiguration was peculiar, to say the least. Instead of the faces she knew she would have walked in on in another life she walked in to see different faces, some striking an alarming amount of familiarity, while others were younger versions of the people she knew of and some were complete strangers.

The scene also cast a complete inverse to the independent study room she and Portia had become accustomed to over the years.

“Miss Granger you’re just in time and where is Miss Harmen?” Hermione had to smother a smile when McGonagall gave her the same pursed lips and raised brow that she knew she used to receive when she asked about Harry and Ron.

“Oh, you see…”

“I made an impromptu acquaintance with the resident poltergeist.” Hermione spun wide-eyed to see Portia looking mildly impressed and holding up a slime-covered school robe.

“Yes, well. Please take a seat.”

Portia smiled teasingly. “Go sit with Lily, I know you’re dying to be with your own kind.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes. While her memories were fairly new acquisitions and she was still sorting through them, she knew Portia had a worrying talent for mischief when she thought it was warranted.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” At Portia's affront look she sighed. “Those boys look like mischief and we both know mischief and you don’t go well together, not for anyone else anyway.”

With that, she spun and walked down the aisle ignoring Portia's muttered: “Rather rude that was.”

“Hello again, glad to see you made it.” Lily grinned at her. “I was going to send someone to check on you two but I realised I didn’t know who you’d met yet.”

“Apart from you, we’ve only been introduced to the Professors.” She whispered back before drawing her attention to Professor McGonagall.

* * *

 

 

 _Five minutes left_. Hermione smiled as she watched her and Lily's beetle dance across the desk.

“So you’re a Muggleborn right?” Lily asked carefully.

Hermione was silent for a moment waiting for the memory to surface “Yea, my biological father died when I was three. Two years later I showed my first sign of magic and poor Mum thought the grief had driven her mad. She met Dad, George Harmen, while she was seeking help out, the Harmen took us in and taught us about the magical world. Mum was so grateful but they refused to take anything in thanks or even hear of it, she married Dad a year later and they’ve been family since.”

“Must’ve been nice.” Lily smiled.

Before Hermione could respond an almighty screech came from the table beside them. A surge of dread went through her and sure enough, when she glanced at Portia she was trying not to laugh, unlike the boys on the front who were bursting with laughter.

“Ugh, you’d think the marauders would have least waited until the second day, honestly.” Lily rolled her eyes.

“Marauders?” Hermione asked blankly. _They all can’t be in here, I only noticed Peter._

“Four boys who enjoy playing cruel tricks on the student body, James Potter is sitting by his self on our other side because of a trick he played last year, McGonagall won’t let him sit with the others. Sirius Black is the one with longish black hair in front on your cousin, he’s a playboy Merlin knows how any girl likes him, though. Remus Lupin is the one next to him, light brown hair? He’s a nice guy, I’ve honestly no idea how he got involved with Potter and Black but he’s been with them since day dot. And lastly, sitting next to your cousin is Peter Pettigrew. I don’t really know that much about him but he follows Black and Potter around like they’re gods and that in itself says enough.”

Before Hermione got to turn and find them however McGonagall turned to the class having just sorted out the shrieking Slytherin.

“Who is responsible for this?” Mouth pinched McGonagall's eyes swept over the class. “I would have thought the first day would have been spared this foolishness.”

“I didn’t mean to Professor, honest.” A voice came from the back.

 _No. No, no, no, not on the first day! It was bad enough just knowing the boys were troublemakers now I’m related to one?! Fantastic!_ Hermione spun in her seat to face the offending voice. “Portia,” she hissed. “What have you done?”

“I honestly didn’t mean to Hermione! I swear! I was sitting there going through the spell when she turned and her damn buttons blinded me!” Portia looked at her in earnest but she honestly couldn’t tell one way or the other.

“Those Gryffindors are always doing things like this to us and no one does anything, nothing but filthy disrespectful little monsters the lot of them!” A high pitched snooty voice came from the Slytherin.

Hermione couldn’t help but think it looked a bit ridiculous coming from the rather rounded girl. However, the thought left her mind when she saw Portia sit up straight and glare at the girl.

“Now listen here! I apologise for the rather unfortunate spell work, but if you hadn’t replaced your buttons with emeralds, which I believe is against school policy anyway, it never would have occurred! It is not my fault your rather pompous attire backfired and I will not sit by and let you discredit myself or my name based on petty schoolyard stereotypes!” Portia snapped leaving the girl spluttering unattractively.

 _Should have known she wouldn’t let that stand._ Hermione thought before looking around the rather silent classroom observing their faces, some were shocked, others impressed, Peter just sat wide eyed looking rather trapped.

“I am afraid that Miss Harmen is indeed correct, the emeralds _are_ against school policy. Miss Rowle to avoid further mishaps, please see that they are removed before next lesson. Miss Harmen as it is your first day and Miss Rowle was indeed going against school policy I will not take points however next time I may not be so gracious. Class dismissed!” With that, McGonagall turned and with a wave of her wand the board was wiped clean.

Hermione bundled her stuff together hurried planning to get a word in with Portia before they had to spill into different classes. _First day and she already gotten into mischief and ripped someone’s head clean off. Honestly._

As she rolled her eyes she misjudged the space between her hand and the desk, sliding her books right off the table. Before she could pick them up, however, a rather handsome young man with light brown hair and light green eyes was handing them back to her with a lopsided grin.

“Hello, I’m Remus Lupin.” He grinned sliding the books into her arms.

“Oh! Hello, I’m… Uh, I’m…” Hermione stuttered rather floored.

“Hermione, her name is Hermione!” Portia called from the doorway smirking. When Hermione glared at her she flinched. “But uh, I’m in enough trouble as it is, I’ll leave you two to it shall I?” She smiled before slipping out of the room.

“I’m Hermione Granger and that was my rather bothersome cousin Portia Harmen.” Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

“Yes, she’s rather sharp isn’t she? I thought Lily was the only one who could disembowel another with words,” He chuckled, “clearly I was wrong.”

Hermione couldn’t help the small smile that erupted at the sound of that familiar chuckle. “Yes well, I hope her irritation stays to the minimum, I’d hate to see her get creative. I’ve got Arithmancy now, you?”

“The very same actually, would you mind if I walk you to class?” Remus asked rubbing his elbow with his hand in a nervous gesture.

“I think I’d like that.” Hermione grinned shyly.


	7. Chapter 7

Three days had past and Portia was late for lunch. Hermione narrowed her eyes and examined the great hall. 

“What has you searching the hall like a hawk?” Lily asked piling food onto her plate.

“Portia’s late for lunch.”

“So…”

“The only time I can remember Portia being late for a meal was when a bludger had broken her leg and she couldn’t walk.” Sitting down she prepared two plates with fresh fruits and a ham sandwich each.

“I’m here!” Portia plonked herself opposite her and Lily.

“You look like you’ve gone two rounds with a troll,” Lily remarked eying up Portia’s torn uniform.

“That would have been preferable. Thanks, Hermione.” A grin plastered her face when Hermione handed over the prepared plate. “Say Lil’s, what do you know about Sirius Black?”

“I know how to avoid him and Potter,” Lily smiled.

“Not helpful.”

“He’s not exactly a complicated person. Popular, lazy but annoyingly intelligent, not that he uses it that often. He can be rather hot-tempered and reckless, which probably contributed to the rumours that his family disowned him over the holidays.”

There was a twitch of Portia’s brow but she moved off the subject fairly quickly.

“So what would the general consensus be if say… I pushed him off the Astronomy Tower into a giant pile of bowtruckle droppings?”

“I wouldn’t make plans on befriending many of our gender. What did he do this time?” Lily asked eying the uniform again.

Hermione gestured toward the previously brand new uniform. “I’m going to hazard a guess and say he had something to do with _that_?”

“Black decided to make fun of the Bavarian Erklings. Kettleburn decided to let them out of their cage, which would have been fine had they gone for _him,_ however, instead of trying to eat Black, they went after the first year class in the Greenhouse. I just spent the past hour stopping them from eating a bunch of terrified eleven-year-olds and of course Black thought it was _hilarious_.” Portia scowled.

“So what have you done in retaliation?” Hermione eyed Portia suspiciously.

“After discussing the matter with my council, Lil’s here, I’ve decided that it would be in my best interest to deny any association with what _might_ be about to happen to Black.” Portia smiled smugly causing her and Lily to look down the table to Black.

Currently, he was piling bacon onto a burger like he was an architect working on the Sistine Chapel. Placing the top slice of bread on, he sat back grinned widely and rubbed his hands together, leaning forward he reached out and-

BANG!

The sandwich was gone and Black sat looking very much Wile E Coyote after Road Runner had tricked him into blowing himself up, with the exception that the normally black soot was just about every colour known to man, and a few that weren’t.

Lily sat back blinking. “I don’t think he’s ever had a trick played on him before. You know from someone other than the marauders.” Looking up at Portia with wide eyes she continued. “When he realises it wasn’t a Marauder he is going to be pissed to the seven hells.”

“Perhaps, but how’s he going to work it out?” Portia shrugged. “I haven’t been here long enough for anyone to know my particular brand of retaliation toward those who deserve it.”

“As much as it pains me to say it, she’s right, if you find evidence that Portia tricked someone, she wanted you to find it.” Hermione grimaced, stuck somewhere between pride and shame. “On the plus side, she’s pretty picky about whom she chooses and they’ll always deserve it.”

Portia mock gasped, hand at her heart. “Was that your approval?”

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. “No. I don’t think it’s _right_ … but I can certainly see how you would think it was fair. The professors rarely see the indiscretions you serve your… justice for.”

“Well… I’m going to go with plausible deniability on this one. Portia said she didn’t have anything to do with it and as Head Girl, I couldn’t possibly punish her without any proof.” Lily nodded, satisfied.

“Huh… I thought for sure you would have found some technicality to trip me up on Blue.” Portia said raising a brow at Lily.

“As Head Girl, I don’t have any proof besides your smug look and that weird twinkle in your eye. As Lily Evans…” Lily leant in making sure no one unwanted could hear. “It’s really good to see Black get a taste of his own medicine.”

Hermione rolled her eyes when Portia's bright eyes and smug closed lip grin turned her way. “Don’t give me that look. She won’t be so lenient when you turn everything in the classroom to cheese.”

“That was _one_ time and it was an accident!”

“You laughed so much I was worried you weren’t breathing properly.” Hermione gave her a pointed look.

“It caught me off guard! I… forget it.” Portia sighed massaging her temples.

Peter slid into the seat next to Portia and nudged her. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing important,” Portia waved off as Lily and Hermione left for the library, “How come you’re here and not with the boys?”

“Sirius just had a sandwich blow up in his face and the dye won’t come off. If he weren’t a thousand different colours right now I’m sure he’d be red with rage.” Peter shrugged.

“You’ve got a spare with me after lunch for our last lesson right?” At Peter’s nod, she smiled. “You wouldn’t know a way out of the castle, would you? I wanted to get Hermione a little something and I honestly couldn’t be bothered arguing with the Professors that I’ll be safe.”

Peter eyed her carefully before swallowing. “Only if I come with you,” at Portia’s frown he ploughed on, “I looked into your family yesterday, telling You-Know-Who to shove his offer where the sun don’t shine was brave as hell but it puts a giant target on your head, so if you think I’m just going to let you stroll out of the castle without someone with you, you’re nuts.”

“Okay, okay, okay, I get it. I won’t sneeze without your permission, Sir Pettigrew.” Portia smirked as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

 

 

Portia climbed through the portrait into the common room and glanced around. Lupin was sitting on one side of the couch reading, on the other Potter had sprawled out with the latest issue of _Quidditch Capers_ , until Peter walked past her and pushed his feet off the middle seat to take their place. In front of them Hermione and Lily sat on the floor studying on top of a conjured coffee table, backs turned to the boys.

“I got you something.” She stated sitting down opposite them and placing a top hat on their books.

Hermione smiled indulgently. “and what a lovely top hat it is!”

“Inside the hat.” She glared back instantly.

Quirking her brow Hermione stretched her neck and carefully peered in. Once she spotted what was inside her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. “Is that…”

“A half kneazle kitten I’ve cleverly named Crookshanks? Why yes, yes it is.” Portia smiled smugly moving to sit sideways in the armchair closest to them.

Lily leant forward to peer in herself and couldn’t help but smile when she spotted the smallest fluffiest little orange kitten she’d ever seen curled up in on itself at the bottom of the hat. “Why is he in a top hat, though?” She frowned curiously.

“Well, I needed something to carry him in.” Portia shrugged.

“And you just happened to have a top hat on you at the time?” Lily quipped.

“Yes.” She deadpanned back as if it was an everyday occurrence and most sane individuals carried a spare top hat upon themselves.

Lily opened her mouth to respond but Hermione jumped in. “Don’t bother, I’ve lived with her most of my life and I still struggle to understand her logic at times.”

“Okay… So, why a cat?” Lily asked curiously.

Portia gave a mischievous close-lipped grin. “Because a bookstore wouldn’t fit in my top hat.”

Behind the girls, Peter let out a snort of amusement only to hide behind a magazine when Hermione and Lily turned their glares on him.

Chuckling she continued. “She’s always wanted one but Uncle George, her dad, was allergic and I refused to let her get one of those creepy fur-less cats either.”

“At least you know they were born that way, poor kitten looks like someone took a brick to its face it’s so squashed up.” Black scoffed as he joined them, collapsing into the other armchair with a grace that only a bored aristocrat seemed to pull off.

“Says the man who looks like a pack of Bertie Botts Colour Changing Gum Drops blew up in his face.” Portia drawled before smiling innocently at him while the others snickered behind various books and magazine.

Portia stood up and stretched. “On that note, I’m going to bed, thanks for the help Pete!”


	8. Chapter 8

Portia was sitting in the library updating some research she hadn’t been able to get to in a decade or so, unfortunately, the nervous glances Hermione was giving her was throwing her concentration. Sighing she dropped her quill and rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands. “Hermione is there something you would like to say to me because I honestly don’t think I’m pretty enough to get you to switch teams. Even if I was, we’re cousins and I doubt that’s a road you even want to think about.”

Hermione expression turned foul and she had to pinch herself to stop from laughing but she couldn’t stop the smirk.

“Honestly Portia do you have to be so crude?” Hermione snapped.    

“Well, it got you to stop glancing at me and start talking. So spill, what is it?”

“Well… It’s two weeks before the first full moon and I was thinking... Maybe…”

“Just spill it, Hermione, I haven’t got all day and we both know I’m going to give in to your request anyway.”

“I know it’s still being tested at the Ministry, but we know it works, so I was wondering if you could talk Dumbledore into…”

“Administering it to those whom it might help?” Portia couldn’t help the teasing smirk that Hermione instantly started glaring at.

“Well, it doesn’t make sense to let them suffer.” She sniffed indignantly.

“Of course not, in fact, I will speak to the Headmaster as soon as I’ve completed this paragraph.” She grinned.

“You’re such a…” Hermione huffed unable to find the word. “Just wait until you’re in a similar circumstance!”

“That is the most roundabout way of saying you fancy the pants off the bloke if ever I’ve heard one.” Portia chuckled.

* * *

 

 

Saturday morning found Peter sitting in the common room with Sirius and Portia throwing a snitch between the three of them.

“Hey, where are James and Remus?” Sirius asked breaking the companionable silence.

“James is off executing his new get-lily-to-date-me plan, and Remus is with Hermione in the library, which is why Pete and I are stuck with his loser friend.” Portia teased, grinning at Sirius’ affronted look.

Peter smiled, it was interesting to watch Sirius interact with a woman who didn’t either hate him or fall at his feet. Their friendship might be built on insults and thinly veiled innuendo but he thought they liked each other well enough, or at least he hoped so.

“As if, the only reason Pete and I are here is because we couldn’t leave a fair maiden to fend for herself,” Sirius explained theatrically.

“Drama queen,” Portia rolled her eyes, “so bets on when Lupin’s finally going to ask Hermione to Hogsmeade?”

Sirius scoffed. “How about never? Remus only asks girls who have expiry dates, Hermione’s the type of girl you settle down with and Remus doesn’t do that.”

“Which is a pity really, they’d be good together,” Peter said shrugging.

“Wait, why does Remus only date short term?”

Peter shared a look with Sirius.

 _Uh-oh_.

“Uh, Remus is a perpetual playboy.” Sirius grinned, “trained him myself.”

 _Idiot, there is no way she’s ever going to fall for that_.

Portia blinked and then snorted with laughter. “Next time you go to lie to me Black, maybe just say you can’t tell me, because, and I can’t stress this enough, that was truly _awful_.” She yawned and thankfully moved on from the subject. “I thought being at school would be more, I don’t know, interesting?”

“This is probably the last Saturday I’m going to get free so I’m not moving an unnecessary muscle,” Sirius said stretching out and flipped through a motorcycle magazine.

“Um, why?” She asked curiously.

“James’ the Quidditch Captain and because it’s his last year he’s going all gung ho. Tryouts for seeker are next Saturday.” Peter explained.

“Right well since Mr lazy bones here, isn't going to move, you want to come for a walk, Pete? I want to go pet the three headed puppy the groundskeeper has.” Portia smiled eagerly. As if he could tell her no.

Walking through the castle Peter narrowed his eyes, examining her.

“What is it, Pete?” She rolled her eyes fondly.

“Were you the one responsible for Sirius’ exploding sandwich?” It was something that had been bothering him since it happened and he honestly couldn’t tell if he was imagining the twitch of her lips every time it was mentioned or not.

Portia choked on thin air. “Why do you ask?”

“Well at first it was just a gut feeling and to your credit, your acting was so good I thought I was losing my touch, but when that Slytherin who called Hermione an M-word turned up with Gryffindor red hands I knew I had been right. The only people that knew about that were Hermione, you and me, and there was no _way_ it could have been Hermione, and I didn’t do it, so it only left you.” Peter nodded.

“I knew I should have changed it up.” She scowled.

“How come Hermione doesn’t scowl at _you_ when one of _your_ pranks show up?”

“Because mine is served as punishments and they always fit the crime.” She smiled smugly. “Well, that and she knows no amount of scowling will stop me, apparently she holds some hope for you lot, she just rolls her eyes at me.”

“What did Sirius do?”

“Idiot stirred up the Irklings and they tried to eat the first years. Okay so _maybe_ that one was a little more personal revenge, the Irklings ruined my favourite boots.”

“You know he’ll start a war if he finds out it was you right?”

“So let him try.” She shrugged before eying him. “You won’t tell him right?”

Peter snorted loudly. “And be the bearer of _that_ bad news? No, thank you, I’d rather be Snivellus’ date to the Potter’s New Year Ball.”

When Portia burst into laughter he smiled, he liked making her laugh, she seemed sad sometimes, like his sister does and that scares him more than anything because he knows he’s going to lose his sister, he’s going to have to let go, but if he has to let go of Portia too…

* * *

 

 

Remus grinned when Hermione entered the library, he couldn’t help it, it was like when she walked in she flipped the switch to his grin. Of course, it helped that the potion the Headmaster was giving him stopped him feeling so damn tired before the full moon.

“Hey.” Her smile is bright and it lights up the golden flecks in her eyes. His heart beat increases slightly but he ignores it and greets her back.

“Hermione, it’s lovely to see you today.”

“You too, what are you studying?”

“I’m looking for some forgotten plays for James, Quidditch season starts soon and he’s determined to win the cup.”

“Oh! He should ask Portia, she loves Quidditch, she’s not as vocal about it as others but I’ve never seen anyone spend as much time on a broom as she does. First time I met her she was hanging off one reading.” She chuckles and he smiles a little wider.

“I’ll tell him to. Do you fly?”

“Oh Merlin no! I was born with my feet cemented to the ground.”

Remus chuckles at her slight panic. “Would you like to sit with me?”

“Yes, please.” She sits and they slip into a friendly silence the only noise being the scratching of quills and rustle of parchment.

Remus peeked a look at her and smiled until reality hit and the smile slid right off.

You can’t get involved.   
_Why not? She’s a nice girl and I like her._   
Exactly she’s a nice girl and you’re a werewolf, what nice girl is going to up and marry you?!   
_She’s not like that, she wouldn’t hate me…  
_ You think, but if you’re wrong she could spill your secret and everyone would hate you, no, no, it’s best not to risk it, it’s best to hide. Stay hidden, survive.   
_Dumbledore said the potion would help.  
_ If he’s wrong you could hurt her like _he_ hurt you, do you really want to risk it? Stay hidden, survive.  
_Three days until the full moon._   
Three days until you turn into a monster.

Sighing he ducked back into his work and studiously ignored the worried and curious looks she was giving him. He ignored the temptation to look back at her and smile just to watch the golden flecks light up, most of all he ignored the longing.

* * *

 

 

Portia felt like horrible, she was tired, agitated, and her senses seemed to be on overdrive. To top it off she was late for breakfast which meant Hermione was going to be a pest.

Finally making it into the Great Hall she spotted the group. Hermione, Lilly and Remus sat on the far side and Peter sat between a line of Gryffindors and James, of course, all the empty space was beside James, apparently, Sirius hadn’t made it down yet, or he’d been and gone, but it seemed unlikely without James.

Slipping in beside James she ignored the curious look from Hermione and piled eggs and bacon onto her plate.

The eggs tasted bland, actually, she couldn’t taste them at all and the bacon tasted weird. Dropping her fork she stared at it frowning.

“Is there something wrong?” Hermione looked at her strangely.

“I don’t know, does the bacon taste weird to you guys, or is it just me?”

James snatched a piece off her plate and popped it into his mouth. “Tastes fine to me.” He said shrugging.

Her brow furrowed and she shook her head. “Sorry, I’m just having a weird day I guess.”

Finally finding that the cold ham stuffed into the croissants didn’t taste that funny she sat back and tried to relax.

_Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat._

_Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat._ Her eye twitched.

 _Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat._ Taking a deep breath she turned to James.

“Do you think you think you could stop that?” Her voice is tense, not enough for most people to notice but Hermione does and her head snapped up to stare at her.

“No can do Harmen, this Snitch is keeping my reflexes up, we’re going to win the cup this year you know.” James grinned.

 _Flutter, swat._ Before it can even get to the second flutter she’s got the tiny golden ball clutched in her fingers and it’s propelled toward the window, the glass making a small tinkle noise as it breaks through.

They all looked at her. Remus frowned puzzled, Hermione and Lily just look stunned and James and Peter look at her with something akin to awe.

“Sweet Helga, I-I’m sorry James, I don’t know what happen. It was bugging me and the next thing I know I’ve thrown it out the window.” _What the hell did I do that for?!_

“It’s fine,” James said slowly. “It’s a practise snitch, it’ll make its way back to the store room sooner or later.”

Portia opened her mouth to apologise again, but Sirius slid in next to her _._

“Sweet Merlin! Sirius did you shower at all this month?! You smell like wet dog!” Portia pinched her nose and looked around but everyone looks confused, some concerned even and it dawns on her that they can’t smell it. Escape seems like the best plan and as she stands her arm feels tight and she can’t help but feel like an utter idiot.

As she walks away from the Great Hall two words flash through her mind. _Fucking Greyback_.

Peter finds her an hour or so later.

“James wants you on the pitch as soon as you pull yourself together.” He grins.

“Um, why?” She looks at him oddly.

“He wants you to try out for seeker. You want to tell me what that thing at breakfast was about?”

Portia gives a half smile and shoves her sleeve up her arm to reveal the white bite mark still clearly visible against her not-quite-tan skin. “The night our family was attacked Fenrir Greyback bit me, he was still in human form but his teeth were sharpened to a point and he even managed to crack the bone open. I’m fairly sure I won’t turn but apparently, the full moon does not make Portia a happy girl.” She grinned more teeth than actual humour.

“Oh wow.” He sits back. “Have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that. So are you okay?”

“Yea, my senses were on overdrive earlier, which is why Sirius smelt so bad and that damn snitch drove me nuts, but I took a potion to dull them and it’s only a little higher than usual now.”

Peter grinned. “Good, then you can try out. If your flying is as good as your reflexes we’ve got the Quidditch Cup in the bag.”

Just like that, everything was okay.

She’d tell Hermione later, right now? It'd been far too long since her last game.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione sat on a balcony she and Lily had found almost a month before. They had been walking down a seventh-floor corridor when Lily had tripped and fallen straight through a tapestry into the large area, it’s centre holding a suitably sized picnic table for eight, two if she and Lily decided to spread out and study. Two trees grew in the corners against the castle walls, its grey leafed canopy hung over the balcony, almost capturing them inside. Hermione and Lily had found enormous comfort in the beautiful area.

Currently, Hermione had escaped the hustle and bustle of the great hall to sit and ponder the recent events of her life. Almost two months had passed and it had been so… easy. Aside from dodging the occasional prank and getting caught up in the continuous begging, James made Lily endure through, honestly, the man never gave up, her life seemed almost normal and while that’s all she ever really wanted, she could feel the reality of possible futures looming over their heads like an ominous storm. She couldn’t decide whether it was better or worse from before.

Portia wasn’t making anything easier either. She’d been disappearing at the oddest of times and then popping out of nowhere again like nothing had happened, similar to herself when she had the time turner. She refused to discuss it with her and would simply tell her that she should enjoy the calm before the storm, that the war will be upon us soon enough and she won’t have time to smell the flowers. Which she fully understood, and while compared to Portia's age and seemingly endless experience, she may seem like a child, she wasn’t and she didn’t appreciate being treated like one.

Breathing past the frustration she sighs and rests her head on her arms.

She understood what Portia was trying to do, honestly, she did. She understood that she was just trying to give her a life, a normal life before everything went horribly wrong, but not knowing what was going on was gnawing at her. Had they done anything? Had they put anything into motion? Had they collected any Horocrux’s yet? When was the Order going to approach them about joining? Did the journal she wrote in before school started help at all?

Those were just some of the questions that plagued her mind when she allowed herself some free time. She was dying to ask Portia about her past, but every time that she had pinned her down in their dorm, it was like she had known what she was going to ask, and while her face remained blank those green-blue eyes almost screamed at her. _Please don’t ask, please don’t make me remember_ , and she can never bring herself to voice them.

Despite not being able to voice the questions Portia seemed so desperate to dodge, she had built a solid relationship with her cousin. Crookshanks gets along with her fantastically which she seems to think is because they both have varying degrees of misanthropy; he’s also rather fond of Remus much to Remus’ surprise and complete bafflement.

Speaking of Remus, things have been… weird. It was fine at first, they had become quick friends and she enjoyed seeing the carefree mischievous side of him, but recently he seems to be on edge around her. It couldn’t be because of his lycanthropy because apparently, he had been ecstatic with the results of the Wolfsbane potion, which she may or may not have convinced a smirking Portia to talk Dumbledore into administering despite it still going through safety testing at the Ministry. So the source of his discomfort was still unknown to her and not knowing was bothering her.

Three days ago her respect for Peter had skyrocketed. She was sitting beside him in Potions when the two Ravenclaws in front of them had muttered something lewd and entirely inappropriate about Portia after she had corrected them, she hadn’t caught the entire sentence but by the stormy look on Peters' face, she knew he had. The next time she had seen the Ravenclaws they were on their way to Madam Pomfrey one nursing a black eye, the other clutching his front teeth in his hand. Peter had come to the common room unusually chipper considering his knuckles had busted open and while she didn’t condone that sort of behaviour _at all_ , she couldn’t help but feel a little proud that her cousin inspired such loyalty in him.

When she had quietly healed his hand, later on, he confessed to thinking of Portia like a surrogate sister, which she was rather glad of because she didn’t think Portia could think of him that way if she tried, but they looked after each other. Portia would draw attention away from Peter when… well, whenever someone targeted him away from the boys and when Portia got grumpy around the full moon he made sure Portia and Sirius spent minimal time together. It wasn’t that they disliked each other, but their friendship was built on snark, wit and innuendo which is fine on most occasions but Sirius has always had a short temper, and Portia is _significantly_ shorter on the full moon which was obviously causing some inner turmoil considering every other day she’s got the patience of a monk when it comes to their banter.

Patience, now there’s a concept she’s losing familiarity with. How Lily hasn’t drowned Potter in the lake yet is beyond her. How did Charlus and Dorea birth such a distraction of a man? Honestly! The more Lily says no, the more elaborate the scheme, if it weren’t so exasperating it’d be pathetic. How on earth did they get together in time to have Harry last time?

“So this is where you’ve gone to.” Portia sauntered in.

“How is it you’re able to saunter everywhere?” Hermione asked blandly. She watched the smirk slide onto Portia's lips, her brow rise in amusement and internally she groaned. It was an expression that reminded her of Draco, in the moments where he let his humanity slip past his mask, in the moments she could almost like him.

“I’m going to let that slip because, One, I don’t saunter, and Two, I seem to have interrupted an internal monologue.” Portia smiled, the amusement shone in the twinkle of her eyes.

“How old are you?” She blurted. The twinkle dimmed but her expression never faltered, it was something she’d seen every time she’d asked a question Portia was uncomfortable with, something she’d learnt was that Portia could even keep the twinkle in her eye if she wanted to. Every word, every movement, every look could be controlled with cold calculation, but with her, Portia had let the barriers down, just a little, just enough for her to know she could trust her.

“Seven hun…”

“No.” She interrupted quietly. “Including the years you had to repeat.” Watching the amusement slide off her face was painful and part of her regretted asking, but she had to know, she had to ask. When Portia looked up from the ground she felt her whole body pang with grief.

“I lost count.” The admission floored her.

“You…” The words failed her and Portia had begun staring at the ground again.

“I used to count. My first job took me sixty years, five in the timeline, I was dropped in a war half way around the planet, I didn’t speak the language I didn’t know any of their spellwork or how to reverse it. The first couple of centuries were like that, ridiculous learning curves. I had to repeat a lot in the beginning.

I stopped counting on my 26th job, it was 1415 and I’d lived through around two hundred extra years. I was tracking these brothers who had been kidnapping muggle borns in Ireland. They captured me and when I finally escaped, I was… damaged. I spent a _long_ time recovering, and the Fates kept telling me I had to do things, that I had a job to do, but I’d just roll over, go back sleep.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realise that I had free will too. That while the Fates could place me anywhere in time or space, they could never _make_ me do anything. So I stopped doing jobs, I travelled around the world and I learnt, and I practised. If I was doomed to live this life, I would be prepared for it. I apprenticed with the forefathers of magic, I watched society refine their learnings, and I learnt with them.

Counting the years, it never seemed that important. They’d probably tell me if I asked, but… I don’t want to know.” 

Moments passed in companionable silent.

“You know,” Hermione smiled a little, “I used to think Harry was the unluckiest person on the planet, turns out you’ve won every day for the last seven hundred years.”

“Finally some recognition!”

Hermione laughed.

“May I ask, how do you deal with all those memories?”

“I don’t. I developed a memory charm, you copy the memories into an object which enables you to forget until touch it, I’ve yet to find a way to privatise them, though.”

“I apologise for asking so many questions it’s just, you’re my age but, _not_ and you’ve been through this before just, _different_ and it makes me…”

“Curious. It makes everyone curious. Mostly anyway.”

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be at Quidditch training?”

“Ah yes. Full moons tomorrow and I’m not feeling as generous towards Sirius’ quips as I usually am so I told James I couldn’t train today day due to that time of the month, of course, he took it the wrong way and blushed so red I was actually a little worried. It was a nice surprise to find out he could still blush, though.” Portia smirked happily.

“Speaking of James, I’m worried about him and Lily.” Hermione frowned.

“Something specific about them? Or just how much longer before Lily snaps and tries to kill him?”

“Both. I’m worried that if James doesn’t clean up his act soon they aren’t going to get together in time to have Harry.”

“Harry’s fine, but it would be a lot easier if they got together sooner rather than later.”  She watched Portia think for a moment and when a slow smile melted onto her face, Hermione felt the pride and worry rise.

“I’ll have to talk to Sirius and a first year that owes me a favour but I think I have something that could help us…”

* * *

 

 

Hermione and Lily were walking along the corridors doing rounds, something Hermione had volunteered for since one of the Prefects had, had an injury during Quidditch practice.

“Did you hear that?” Hermione frowned. Tapping a disillusionment charm over them they popped their heads around the corner and watched Black make a run for it from the kitchens and turn into a corridor.

“What are they up to now?!” Lily whispered harshly trying to push past her.

“Shush!” Hermione held her back. “Stop, just wait. Sirius wouldn’t go around the castle by himself if it was a prank, there’s got to be someone else too.”

Portia shot her hand out and pulled Sirius into the enlarged broom closet.

“Merlin Harmen, if you wanted me in a broom closet all you had to do was ask,” Sirius wiggled his eyebrows.

“Stop, before you embarrass both of us. Did he suspect anything?”

“Nope, we’ve got about thirty seconds before he comes out.” He smiled lazily.

“Right.” Turning her attention to the other person in the room she smiled. “You ready for this?” With a nod from the small amused Hufflepuff, she flicked her wand, turning her hair green then swished her wand past her eyes causing her to start crying. “The tears will last for about fifteen seconds, you remember what to do?”

The girl grinned nodding and wiped her tears away before slipping out and down the corridor.

“So, now it’s just you and me…” Sirius grinned waggling his eyebrows again.

“Incorrect, now it’s just you.” Disillusioning herself she slipped out. Peter would be proud, she didn’t curse him once.

* * *

 

 

James slipped out of the kitchens quietly and took a step before he stopped dead at the sound of quiet sobs. Ducking behind a coat of armour he waited, when the figure stepped into the candlelight near the kitchens, he saw a tiny little Hufflepuff girl with long green curly hair.

Sighing with relief he stepped out. “Hello there. I’m James Potter, head boy, are you okay? What’s your name?”

The girl looked up startled. “I… I’m C-Casandra.” She sniffled, wiping the tears away.

James cringed and looked around making sure no one could see him. Certain he wasn’t being watched he knelt down, taking a handkerchief from his pocket he tilted her head up to look at him and wiped her tears away smiling kindly.

“ _You_ are way too pretty to be crying.” He winked, and when she blushed he couldn’t help but grin. “Now I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say that green isn’t your natural hair colour.”

“N-no, I was in the girls b-bathroom after dinner when I was j-jinxed.” Casandra hiccupped as she fiddled with her necklace.

“Well let’s fix that then hey?” With a quick wave, her hair had changed back to its original brown. “You’ve got hair just like Portia does, my friend Sirius tries to flirt with her but if you ask me he’s got more chance getting a snog from McGonagall.” He mock whispered causing her to giggle. “Do you wear that necklace all the time?”

With her nod he smiled and took the pendant into his hand, muttering a spell it glowed for a moment before he handed it back it to her. “Now it’ll repel any curse or jinx below a fifth-grade level.” Digging into his pocket again he pulled out a sugar quill and handed it to her. “There you go, now off you trot, before someone notices you’re missing.”

Lily was gobsmacked. Someone’s impersonating him. They have to be there is no possible way that James Charlus Potter was _that_ nice to someone. “Hermione.” She whispered turning around but she was gone and the disillusionment charm had faded.

“Hermione?” She called a little louder.

With a crash and a bang, a broom closet burst open and Peeves flew out. If there was one thing she did not want to happen tonight it was getting caught by herself at night by Peeves. Head girl or no, he’s worse than the Marauders, so she did the only sensible thing she could.

She turned the corner and ran… right into Potter. Okay, so maybe that part wasn’t the most sensible.

“ _Lily?!_ ”

“Peeves!”

“Right.” James nodded ducking into a tiny alcove and pulled her in against his chest.

_Holy Merlin, he’s solid! No! No, bad Lily! The fact that he’s a complete Git totally nullifies whether he is attractive or not... even if he really warm and you can feel his muscles- Shut up!_

After a few moments, they heard Peeves swoop away cackling gleefully.

Clearing her throat she slipped out of the alcove with James following closely. “So… Uh, thanks… for that.” She gestured awkwardly to the alcove.

“No problem.” With a half grin, James scratched the back of his head. “You wouldn’t want to go to Hogsmeade with me would you?” He asked sheepishly.

Lily narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and after a few moments, she spoke. “On one condition.”

James' eyes went wide and he grinned eagerly. “Anything, anything at all, you name it.”

“I go with the James that helped that sweet little Hufflepuff girl and not the git I’ve been dealing with since the first year.” She glared.

James’ jaw dropped. “You, uh,” he cleared his throat awkwardly. “You saw that?”

“Yes and I’ll only go with him. The moment you revert back to The Git is the moment the date ends.”

A slow smile crept onto his face. “For a date? Anything. Can I walk you back to the common room?”

Hesitantly she answered. “Okay.” A shy smile crept onto her lips and she blushed when James slipped his hand into hers.


	10. Chapter 10

“WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEASON!” The announcer’s voice echoed over the stadium as Hermione took her seat between Lily and Remus. A minute later Peter slid past them to a seat on the other side of Remus as he rubbed his hands together anxiously.

“Where have you been?” Hermione asked curiously before she tapped him with a warming charm.

Peter gave her and thankful smile and loosened his scarf a little to talk. “I had to talk to James.”

“Why?” Remus piped up frowning.

“Well, I was walking past some Slytherins when I heard them say that, Janet Rowle made Beater and was going for blood after Portia embarrassed her on the first day. Usually, I’d shrug it off because that’s just Quidditch but Rowle's got a reputation for being _absolutely_ crazy. So I hightailed over to the dressing rooms, James told Sirius and Nathaniel to keep an eye out for her, much to Portia’s disgust.” Peter smiled at the last part.

Hermione pursed her lips. “I hope she doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Don’t worry about it, Hermione.” Lilly patted her knee. “Portia’s made of harder stuff than whatever they made Sirius’ skull out of.” She quipped causing the boys to break into snickers.

“That’s what I’m worried about…” Hermione muttered.

* * *

 

 

“POTTER PASSES TO KLEMMINS! KLEMMINS FIRES PAST FLINT, KLEMMINS SHOOTS, KLEMMINS SCORES! THIRTY MINUTES IN AND GRYFFINDOR HAVE FIFTY POINTS IN THE BAG, SLYTHERIN STILL AT ZERO AND THE SNITCH IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.”

Portia groaned. “Thanks for the astute observation.” She hadn’t laid eyes on it even once, on the plus side neither had Regulus Black, the Slytherin seeker.

It was the full moon that night and due to James’ obsession with getting them up earlier than strictly necessary for games and practise she hadn’t take her potion.  On the plus side, her eyesight was _spectacular_ , not that it had helped her as of yet. On the downside one of the Slytherin chasers stunk so bad she has to hold her breath each time he passes by so she didn’t puke, and Sirius still smelt like wet dog. Honestly, did the man sleep in a kennel?

Another pain in the ass was Rowle. She had apparently decided that her revenge for earlier in the term would be hitting her with a bludger, fortunately for her, Rowle couldn’t hit the side of a dragon, and James had decided within five minutes of the game that Sirius and Nathan would be wasted ‘guarding‘ her.

Portia scanned the pitch, smirking as she watched Sirius hit an impressively aimed bludger at his brother, who dodged it sneering.

* * *

 

 

“GO JAMES!” Lily screamed from beside her. James had the quaffle and was no doubt about to score, but Hermione’s eyes were on Portia.

Rowle had blatantly aimed for her several times, but Portia had dodged them lazily looking almost bored. If Rowle was smart and really wanted a rise out of her, she’d aim for Sirius or James, but of course if no one had noticed her insane loyalty for her friends, she sure wasn’t going to be the one to point it out, especially to people who might soon be trying to kill them.

Portia was hovering just below the lowest hoop mid-pitch, Hermione watched her gaze sweep the field and a split-second later Portia was hurtling toward the top Slytherin hoop.

“GO PORTIA GO!!” Hermione screamed, her friends snapped their heads in her cousin’s direction.

“GO HARMEN!” Peter bellowed out next.

Hermione gripped the hand beside her tightly when she saw Rowle hit a bludger directly at the speeding seeker.

* * *

 

 

Portia glanced right, spotting the bludger she tucked her body tightly against her broom and stretched out her hand.

 _I've got time_.

* * *

 

 

Sirius smashed his bludger at Rowle and watched in satisfaction as she slipped off her broom in an effort to dodge it before he turned his attention to Harmen.

Hand outstretched, the bludger neared and Sirius suddenly wished Rowle had fallen more than six feet, preferably into a pit of acromantulas.

_Oh,_ _she’d pay for this._

His grip tightened on his broom. Portia slipped the broom into a roll, but the bludger clipped her boot pushing her off the broom. Sirius flew at top speed toward her but the clever witch used the momentum to swing herself back onto her broom.

Standing up on her broom, wild grin, hair coming loose from her braid she thrust her hand up, clutching that tiny golden ball, and Sirius fell into absolute gales of laughter when her other hand came up and gave the forks to an enraged Rowle standing on the pitch with a broken broom.

* * *

 

 

Hermione sighed deep with relief and loosen her grip. “Thank Merlin for that.”

Remus chuckled beside her, squeezing her hand. “I never thought you’d be glad to see Portia give someone the forks.” 

Blushing Hermione pulled her hand away. “Yes well, it means she still has a pulse so I’ll ignore that part.” Hermione hummed. “You’d think with the upbringing we had she’d have more class.”

Lily snorted from in front of her as they made their way down from the stands. “You haven’t heard much of the reputation your family has from the outside world, have you? Add an eye roll to Portia, and you’ve basically got your family’s stance on every bias political member the ministry has had since it was formed.”

“Gryffindor won, we’re on our way to the party and you lot want to talk about _politics_?” Peter exclaimed from behind them all. “Could we at least briefly discuss how _awesome_ Portia is on a broom before we move to her lack of social propriety and care on prejudiced idiots?”

* * *

 

 

Slipping out of the common room, the celebratory party in full swing, she fastened the black, yellow-lined cloak around herself and pulled the hood over her head. She made her way through the castle and slipped out and in the forest unseen and unheard.

* * *

 

 

Peter frowned looking around the party. “Hey, Hermione where’s Portia?” He yelled over the noise.

Hermione looked up at him, “She was here just a moment ago don’t worry she’ll turn up, she always does,” she smiled and moved toward Lily.

He didn’t have time to find her, though, Remus had already left and he, James and Sirius were about to slip out as soon as the banners exploded into glitter and distracted everyone.

Peter didn’t like this at all.

* * *

 

 

A golden dingo sat on a big rock that still radiated heat from the day’s sunshine. Resting her head upon a paw she watched the people walking in the valley below. They looked confused and disorganised, a pack without their leader.

She could smell the humans and without the potion, she was supposed to take earlier, it was testing her tightly held control. When first of several screams filled the air and she knew she gathered all the information she could from the people below.

As she trotted away a howl filled the air.

Reaching a secluded clearing she transformed back into herself, which she had to admit wasn’t the most comfortable. Slipping her wand from her sleeve she left with a crack. Apparating back into the forbidden forest she squirmed, with the full moon shining down on her, her skin felt itchy and too tight, slipping back into her animagus form she felt relief.

Not fifteen minutes from the castle she heard a howl and her head snapped up. It was different to the two that usually played during these nights. Worry set in and she set off running toward the howl as fast as she could, trying not to be detected she leapt onto the boulders that scattered the forest.

Leaping onto a larger boulder she spotted a clearing where two werewolves were facing off. A sole red-brown male a little larger then herself growled at a sandy-brown werewolf surrounded by a large black dog and a stag. While unusual it wasn’t the first time she’d stumbled across something that baffled her, she’d work it out later, right now she was pretty sure Remus was underestimating the smaller reddish werewolf.

The smaller werewolf backed down a little but the quiet growl didn’t stop. Her hackles raised, but the other animals took it differently, and if she could tell that from this far away, so could he.

She took off sprinting towards them, her eyes set on the smaller werewolf. Just as she broke into the clearing the werewolf leapt towards the animals, following suit she jumped straight into its path and wrapped her jaws around its neck knocking it to the ground.  Tightening her grip around its neck she growled low and dangerous, letting Remus get hurt wasn’t an option. If Peter didn’t kill her for it, Hermione would… well,l they’d _try_ and that’d probably hurt more.

The werewolf squirmed under her grip and threw them to the ground, rolling out she crouched low, growling they circled each other neither one wanting to back down. She swiped her paw across its nose as it snapped at her, drawing blood it whined and snapped again this time catching her paw. It clamped down hard and she felt the skin break, the bones in her paw crunch. Its saliva dripped into her open wounds and she felt the tight control she held on herself snap.

Her vision clouded with absolute rage and she lunged forward taking hold of its ear with her jaw she almost ripped it off. She could feel herself attacking the animal and tried to pull herself back but nothing was working. Panic set in when she realised she couldn’t force herself to transform back into her original form and as the werewolf ran off, her mind swirled, suddenly feeling exhausted she lost her balance and fell to her side.

She let out a quiet whine and the last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the big black dog prodding her with his snout.

* * *

 

 

Albus watched Miss Granger hurry down the castle stairs toward him frantically.

“Miss Granger is everything okay?” Dumbledore asked peering down his nose through his half-moon spectacles.

“Portia’s missing! I went to bed after the party and she wasn’t there which is kind of normal because she does whatever she pleases and as long as she isn’t failing I don’t really mind, because it’s not as if she’ll listen to me anyway but when I woke up she still wasn’t back and there was no note, and she always leaves a note if she isn’t going to be there when I wake up. I was sure I saw her at the party and then Peter said he couldn’t find her, so I thought she’d just gone up to bed, after such a long game but I didn’t see her again all night, so I know something is wrong, something is definitely very, very wrong…”

“Miss Granger, please relax. If you do not take a breath soon I’m rather afraid you may run out of air.” Dumbledore tried to settle the rambling girl.

Taking a deep breath in and back out she looked up at him and stated simply. “I’m rather worried.”

“I can see. I have a fair idea where she is, so do not fret, I have a short errand to run but I shall go collect her after. In the meantime I seriously suggest you go back to the common room and calm down, especially since it is only half five in the morning.”

She looked slightly relieved at this and sighed a, “Thank you, Headmaster,” before hurrying off.

Albus frowned, now all he had to do was locate Portia.

* * *

 

 

Remus sat on an old chair in the shrieking shack feeling sorry for himself. The marauders had left while he was sleeping early that morning and here he was waiting for Dumbledore with a dog that if he were honest looked kind of pissed it was being kept there, but it hadn’t tried to eat him yet so he thought he was doing pretty well.

“So uh, Hello, I’m Remus.” He stuck his hand out, only to realise what he’d done and instantly retracted it. “Guess you can’t shake huh?” He chuckled awkwardly and he could’ve sworn it had rolled its eyes at him.

“Give me a break would you, I had a tough night last night.” He grumbled.

The dingo looked up at him as if to say _‘Seriously?’_

“Well, uh, I suppose you did too.” Remus scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Thanks for that by the way, I err, I don’t usually come across other werewolves. They aren’t supposed to be in the forest.”

It looked pointedly at him.

“I’m a student here, it’s different.” He huffed. “You know for an animal that’s _really_ far from home, you’re awfully judgmental.”

A light chuckle came from the entrance to the tunnel. “I do hope you are not referring to me Mr Lupin.” Dumbledore smiled as he emerged.

“Of course not Headmaster, I, uh, I seem to have acquired a new friend on my travels last night. He saved me from another werewolf.” Remus said obviously thankful.

“I assure you Mr Lupin, _she_ is more of an old friend than a new one.” Albus smiled at her, eyes twinkling with laughter.

“Oh, has she been around the forest for a while Headmaster?” Remus asked baffled.

“I would wager longer than you or I would imagine.” Albus chuckled.

She barked and held out her damaged paw.

“Oh I was going to take her to Madam Pomfrey, she passed out after the wolf bit her paw, I was worried until she woke up just after me. Now she just seems impatient and rather offended I’ve kept her here.” He said looking rather worried that he’d offended her.

She huffed. _Of course, he’d be self-conscious he’d offended me._ Rolling her eyes, she limped over and rested her head on his knee and he reached out to her she licked his hand fondly.

* * *

 

 

After Albus dropped Remus off at the hospital wing and assured him he’d take her to a professional animal healer, which she’d rolled her eyes at. They’d wondered up to the Headmasters office.

As soon as the door shut she transformed back into herself. “Holy Hufflepuff my hand is killing me.” Pulling her wand out, she began healing her right hand.

“The flesh is healed and I’ve aligned the broken bones properly but I’ll have to get you to write out a note so I can get an antibiotic and bone healing potion. I’d rather not wait for my own healing to do it, it’s not exactly the most pleasant feeling.”

“Ah, yes, would you care to tell me what happened?” Albus asked as he set about writing her note out.

“Greybacks pack is still disorganised. I doubt anyone has told them he’s dead because I’m fairly sure it’s fear of his return that’s stopping someone from becoming the new leader. They’re definitely losing any faith of his return though and the number of arguments has increased. I’d wager that the werewolf in the forest tonight was one of Greybacks that has strayed from the pack.”

Dumbledore nodded. “Tom has halted his movements, for now, we are unsure what has happened but he’s definitely unhappy. We’re trying to get someone on the inside, but our attempts as such have failed.”

“You need to be looking at your students Albus.”

“Portia, I will not endanger my students.” He said flatly as if there was no room for argument.

“You cannot protect them from their parents Albus and you must face facts, it’s their parents who are giving them a first class ticket to Azkaban or the family crypt!”

“I will not offer them a place in the Order that will very well spell their deaths!”

“Then don’t! Let me offer them a way out, I’ll be their handler and secret keeper. I’ll offer as much protection as is feasibly possible.” Portia spoke defiantly. “You know I am their best way out Albus.”

“That does not mean I have to like the situation,” Albus said mulishly.

“People are dying, no one likes the situation.”

Albus sighed and began to polish his glasses. “The problem with picking the lesser of two evils is that it is still evil.”

Portia was silent for a moment.

“Is it the situation or I that is the lesser of two?”

Albus frowned. “We last spoke during the most trying times of my youth Portia. No matter, what I might have said, I do not believe, nor have I ever, that you are you are evil, my dear friend.”

Portia nodded slowly. “I need you to know. I tried, I went back and I tried, harder and for much longer than I probably should have, but I tried.”

“I know Portia, I know.”


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione sighed at the sight of Rowle with sludge green hair. Little incidents like this had been happening quite often since the Quidditch match and it was sure to cause serious trouble if it didn’t stop soon.

Hermione slipped into the only stop left, between Portia and Sirius. While she loved Portia and was relatively fond of Sirius when he wasn’t turning her notes into paper ducks, it wasn’t a place she felt entirely comfortable, similar to sitting between Fred and George, you just knew something was going to go wrong.

A small explosion sounded at the Slytherin table and Hermione turned on Portia with a glare. “Alright you’ve had your fun, enough is enough, _this stops now_ Portia.” She whispered furiously.

Portia looked between her and Rowle stunned. “I know what you’re thinking, and I know what it looks like, but _that was not me_.”

Hermione shook her head disappointed. “I can’t believe you’d just lie to me like that. The proof is right there, that is _identical_ to the one you pulled on Sirius.”

“That was you?!” Sirius piped up gobsmacked.

“Oh. Sirius reverse engineered your spell.” Hermione said flatly.

“Gee, do you think?” Portia drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she slowly got up from the seat. “Now Black, see reason. That was months ago, surely you’ve gotten over it?” Portia gave a small smile as she backed away from Sirius who was advancing on her with a rather disconcerting grin.

“I was a rainbow for almost a month.” He deadpanned with a soft growl.

“It looked good on you?” She offered weakly before bolting, Sirius following close behind.

“Harmen did that?” James asked perplexed. “He’s been blaming me for months.”

“We know,” Peter snickered, “she thought it was hilarious.”

“Wait you _knew_?” Remus and James echoed.

“Yea, remember when Sirius stirred up the Erklings? Well, they ruined her boots.” He shrugged.

Hermione looked at Lily. “You may want to warn the Professors. I can see this turning ugly.”

Remus snickered. “More like all out warfare,” spotting the looks he received from Lily and Hermione he cleared his throat, “which is, of course, a horrible, bad, dangerous thing.”

“Nice cover Remus.” James laughed.

“Shut up James, if you aren’t careful Lily will drop you faster than a hot potato,” Remus muttered.

James gave an adoring look to Lily and winked. “Nah, I’ve got her now. She’s stuck with me.” He chuckled.

Hermione shared a look with Lily and they sighed.

Nearing the end of lunch, someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning around Hermione’s eyes locked onto another set of brown orbs smiling at her. The owner of said brown orbs flicked the sandy blonde hair from them and grinned at her.  “Hello. I’m Barty, I was wondering if I could be so honoured as to accompany you to Hogsmeade this weekend.”

“Oh! I… Uh…” Hermione gnawed on her lips nervously, she could feel Remus’ gaze burning into her back.

What are you waiting for? Say yes!   
_But, I wanted…_   
Remus isn’t going to ask you, remember what you told Ginny?   
_Not to wait around. But this is different!  
_ No, it’s not. Just say yes.

A shoe collided with her shin and she winced, catching Lily’s pointed look as she rubbed her shin.

“I uh, I’d love to Barty.” She smiled a little hesitantly.

“Oh good. I’ll meet you at the doors at eight then?” At her nod, she watched him walk away.

“Hermione and Barty sitting in the tree…” Lily sang teasingly as Remus left the hall quickly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and half-heartedly tossed a bread roll at Lily, but something was definitely bothering her about him.

“How much do you know about Barty?” She addressed to the table in general.

James was the one to answer. “Bartemius Crouch Jr. He’s in the year below us in Ravenclaw and prefers to be called Barty. Not a bad bloke but he’s got a chip on his shoulder about his dad.” At the questioning looks, he clarified. “His Father works at the ministry with mine, we’ve been forced to socialise a few times.”

_Oh,_ _bother._

* * *

 

 

Hermione was rushing through the castle searching for Portia. Checking the last broom closet, she slammed it shut in frustration. “Where in the name of Godric is she?!”

A second later the closet door came open and she was yanked in. Looking around she immediately noticed that this was not the space she had slammed the door on not five seconds before. The room was relatively big, with an empty desk in one corner and Portia occupying a hammock hanging in the other.

“You _altered_ the castle?!” Hermione boggled.

“Technically, no, it was already here, you just need to know how to get to it and besides you didn’t seem to mind when you found your balcony,”  Portia commented.

“You did that? You know what, never mind, I have bigger problems.” Hermione sighed rubbing her eyes. “I was just asked on a date to Hogsmeade.”

“So? It’s not like Remus has gotten over his self-pity long enough to ask you out yet.”

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Hermione snapped, taking a breath she continued, “ _you_ are my cousin, you’re supposed to help me.”

“Okay, One, I was born in 1214. Hello, arranged marriages! Two, I haven’t been on a date in at least four hundred years. I’m fairly sure the rules of dating have changed since then. Thirdly and finally, if you wanted my help, then you should have thought of that before you blabbed about my jinx. If you’d had just a _little_ faith in me then I wouldn’t have Black running around the castle trying to curse me.” Portia looked at her pointedly.

“You flipped her off in front of the entire school, how was I supposed to know it wasn’t you?”

“Exactly, I got away with it and won the game, I was more than happy.”

“Argh! This is beside the point, I need your help! I was asked out by _Barty Crouch Jr_! Future Death Eater?! Is this ringing any bells?”

Portia tilted her head up and looked at her with a grin. “Perfect! While you’re being wined and dined, work out if he’s a daddy hating psychopath yet, would you? Maybe we’ll catch a break and be able to stop him going to the dark side of the force.”

“That joke was so inappropriate I don’t even know where to begin.” Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

“Well it’s no fun now you’ve pointed it out.” She frowned, eyes closed and laying back.

Hermione huffed irritated and headed towards the door, just before she slipping out she flicked her wand at the hammock causing it to spin and dump Portia unceremoniously on the floor. She closed the door happily on a rather inventive string of profanities.

* * *

 

 

Determined to get the goblins at Gringotts to release a cottage from the property portfolio in time for them to occupy it at Christmas, Portia trudged up the frozen staircase to the Owlery.

Reaching the top a shriek sounded and a flying torpedo of parchment flew at her, neatly dodging it her eyes darted to the steaming angry red head storming around and freaking the birds out.

“Uh, you okay Blue?” Portia asked carefully.

“No! I am most certainly not alright! My utter _cow_ of a sister ask asked me to forgo my own family Christmas traditions because and I quote ‘I would hate for your freakish qualities to scare my future husband away.’” Lily shrieked stomping her foot, a tear slowly rolling down her cheek.

Portia blinked, given her track record, emotional family issues were not her forte, give her a war any day. “Well… Unless your Mother is as foolish as your sister then I doubt she even knows of the letter, why not write and tell her?”

Portia watched curiously as Lily deflated and slumped down onto a seat. “No, if I force my presence on Petunia, my sister,” she clarified, “she’ll hate me, and as horrible as she is at the moment, we used to be really close and…”

“She’s your sister and you love her.” Portia nodded understanding.

“Exactly. No, I’ll just write mum and tell her that I’d like to stay at Hogwarts because it’s my last year.” Lily sighed.

“Or you could tell her that two sad little orphans asked you to stay at theirs to help fill the void.” Portia gave her a small smile.

Lily looked up her horrified. “Oh, Merlin! Here I am complaining about family and you…”

“Lily! Stop! It’s fine honestly. I’m fine, but I am a little worried for Hermione, I mean I lost my Mother years ago, but Hermione had her mum and step dad there for most of her life. If you came it would help ease my worries, I’m not so good with this… crying stuff.” She shrugged awkwardly.

“I’d love to, but are you sure?”

“Course, I know you and I don’t talk all that much, but you’re a part of the family. That means loyalty, love, a place to crash when your sisters a butt and most importantly, awkward Christmas’ with the Potter family, which you will have to suffer through with us, should you decide to stay. Oh and the New Year’s Ball they hold.” Portia grinned.

Lily hesitated, biting her lip.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Now go write a letter to your Mother, I won’t grant you asylum until you have permission, no matter how hard you beg!” Portia ended with a dramatic flourish.

Lily smiled fondly. “You really are something else.”

Just as Lily got the steps, Portia’s hair tie broke and her hair came tumbling down around her shoulders, picking a lock up and looking at it, she blinked. “Hey, Lil’s!”

Lily looked back expectantly. “How long has my hair been purple?”

Lily blinked. “A few days now, you didn’t know?”

A slow grin crept onto Portia's face. “I don’t really look at it, I just kind of tie it up and move on with my day. Looks like I hadn’t dodged Black at all. Interesting.”

Lily smiled strangely. “I think it was an understatement when I said you were something else.” Lily rolled her eyes fondly when Portia winked at her and continued her way down leaving Portia to her musings.

 

Barty looked at her defeated. “Well… That was an utter disaster. Friends?” He asked holding a hand out hopefully.

Hermione almost sighed with relief. “Friends.” She nodded happily, shaking his hand.

“I really am sorry about that hot toffee.” He winced.

“It’s fine, really, it’ll heal.” She strained a smile as she started toward the common room.

Finally climbing through the portrait Hermione collapsed beside Lily on the sofa, luckily the common room was almost deserted, unluckily the almost included Portia.

“That good huh?”

“First he tripped and pushed me into the carriage, then he insisted on holding my hand and his hands were freezing, then he took me into look at the new stationary Tomes and Scrolls got in and accidently stabbed my hand with a quill, then spilled my Butterbeer all over the table at The Three Broomsticks, and lastly choked and spat a hot toffee lolly at me.” Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

“That explains the red mark on your neck, that’s an unfortunate position.” Lily grimaced.

Portia grinned, “It looks like a hickey.”

* * *

 

 

Remus hated today. He’d rushed through Hogsmeade, gathering the things he needed, never taking his eyes from the ground, just in case he came across _them._

He knew he couldn’t rightfully be annoyed with her, she wasn’t his girlfriend, he’d never even asked her for a drink at the Three Broomsticks let alone for a whole day with her in Hogsmeade. Argh, what was wrong with him?

Climbing through the portrait he could hear Portia’s voice.

“It looks like a hickey.” She said grinning.

His eyes shot to Hermione and then to the red mark on her neck. Gritting his teeth he turned around and walked right back out the portrait.

* * *

 

 

“Well. that was horrible timing even for me.” Portia grimaced. “All quips and witticism aside, I am genuinely sorry for that.”

Hermione sighed and gave a gesture not to worry about it before climbing the girl's staircase and retiring to bed early. 

_The perfect ending to a perfect day..._


	12. Chapter 12

It was three days til Christmas break and the tension in the dungeon could not have been thicker.

“It seems that your boyfriend does not appreciate you being partnered with me,” Snape remarked wryly.

Portia shot a look at Sirius and sure enough, he was glaring.

She had summoned all of his boxers that morning, hung them with the holiday garland around the common room and charmed them to sing Christmas carols in his voice as people walked past. To say he was not amused was a _gross_ understatement. 

This had led to a strain on James and Lily’s relationship, due to Lily saying that it was about time Black got a taste of his own medicine and James thoroughly disagreeing. Unfortunately, they were paired up today, Remus and Hermione had also been paired up and her prank had not helped their already tense friendship.

Poor Peter sat beside Sirius, doomed to the realm of the silent treatment because he refused to take sides.

“Don’t be stupid Severus, it doesn’t suit you, besides he’s glaring at me not you. It seems he did not appreciate his gift this morning.” Snape cocked a brow at her. “I am not telling you, you’ll laugh and he’ll assume we’re planning something. While you might be safe tucked in the dungeons tonight, I will have to survive the tower of lions.”

“One would think a lion would be safe amongst its pride.” Snape drawled, bored.

“Black’s been here longer, loyalty goes to him by default. There are of course always oddities, but they are few and far apart.”

Snape blinked and made a dismissive noise, choosing not to respond as Slughorn started speaking.

* * *

 

 

Peter had no idea what to do. James and Lily sat in front of him, Remus and Hermione behind, and Sirius beside him still glaring at Portia who was next to Snape. He was convinced Slughorn’s seating plan was trying to kill him, ‘ _Your NEWTS won’t be easy so to challenge you during class you will have a new partner each week according to the Seating Plan I’ve charmed to alter each lesson.’_ What? Did the seating alter itself according to most likely to blow something up?

Sirius wasn’t really angry; he just hadn’t worked it out yet. When he did he was probably going to regret whatever he was planning.

“Don’t do it, I don’t know what exactly you’re planning, but remember what happened last time you planned something while you were angry? You almost lost Remus’ friendship.”

Sirius glared at him. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“The one where I get to keep all my friends in one piece thank you very much.” Peter snapped back.

“She crossed the line!” Sirius whispered back furiously.

“What line?! Two years ago James jinxed you and you spent the next two days saying dirty pick-up lines to every female you spoke to! McGonagall gave you detention for a month! Are you honestly trying to tell me hanging your boxers in the common room was worse than that?!”

“It’s different,” Sirius grunted.

“Why? Because she’s not a Marauder? Because she’s a girl? Because she’s content being your friend and doesn’t fall at your feet after slipping in her own drool like the rest of your groupies?” Peter asked.

Sirius glared at him from the corner of his eyes. Peter shook his head frustrated.

* * *

 

 

Lily was furious. Honestly, these boys tortured half the school over the past seven years and when Sirius finds someone who not only plays the game but plays just as well as he does, he and James are in a strop! _Absolutely_ ridiculous!

“Could your pass the mandrake root please James?” She muttered quietly.

“Why don’t you ask Portia to do it, since you’re such good friends with her?” James muttered back childishly as he handed it to her.

“Because she’s on the other side of the room, because she has her own work, and because she is not my partner, although I wish she were, at least she doesn’t forget her manners in a foul mood.” She snapped back.

* * *

 

 

“So I have a small confession,” Portia said suddenly, causing Snape's head to snap up and give her an expectant look.

“I’m terrible at this.” She gave a sheepish look.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Okay, I’m not _terrible_ , but I’ve seen your work and you’re a perfectionist.” She shrugged. “I’d rather you didn’t hate me for not mentioning that I’m a sloppy potioneer.”

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. “What _can_ you do?”

“I can stir.” Portia grinned brightly.

“Salazar, help me.” Snape sighed looking toward the ceiling. “Fine.” He growled.

Ten minutes left, Snape was cleaning up after preparation and Portia was dropping the last ingredients in one every three stirs. Her arm seized up and she turned wide-eyed to Snape. “I’ve just been hit with a muscle relaxant charm.”

Snape tried to yank her back in time but her muscles relaxed too quickly and she tripped, the last of the ingredients dropped in all at once as she fell, pulling Snape down with her.

The cauldron started to boil and shake not just the table it sat on but the desks surrounding it. They looked at each other before Snape pulled his wand out and erected a protection charm around the cauldron hoping to stop it aggravating the other potions in the classroom and causing an explosion.

The purple protection bubble expanded inching toward them quickly as the cauldron boiled inside. With a little difficulty, Portia pulled her wand out from underneath her and pointed her wand at the cauldron, helping shrink the charm down until the potion suffocated and neutralised.

“What in the name of Salazar was that about?” Slughorn exclaimed, finally managing to bustle through the crowd who stood around staring at them.

Snape stood brushing himself off and held his hand out to Portia, surprised she took his hand and stood up.

“It seems Harmen has temporarily lost control of the muscles in her left arm,” Snape spoke slowly as if talking to a child.

Portia smothered the smirk that was itching to come to the surface at the tone of his voice. “No idea what happened to it.” She said baffled as she lifted her hand to chin height and watched it flopped back to her side.

“Hmm, must have been the vapours from Mr Heartfield’s potion here.” He said picking up a ladle of what looked curiously like moss and vomit. “Mr Snape, do take Miss Harmen to the infirmary, just in case there are any other side effects.”

Portia blinked. _Was he really that daft?_

* * *

 

Hermione was absolutely furious. They were all currently standing in the infirmary waiting for Madam Pomfrey to make an appearance.

 _Speak of the devil_. “Madam Pomfrey is Portia okay?” She stood forward.

Madam Pomfrey blinked. “Oh yes, yes, perfectly fine, poor thing was hit with a muscle relaxant charm. Works wonders on over-worked Quidditch players but obviously not meant to be used whilst preparing a potion.”

Hermione turned to glare at Sirius, who, conveniently, was staring at the ceiling. Spotting her cousin exit the bathroom she rushed over and gripped her arm, checking it out herself.

“Ah, careful there, I’ve got some major pins and needles in that arm,” Portia exclaimed pulling her arm free.

“Good to see you’re okay.” Lily smiled.

“Fit as a fiddle, Lil’s.” She grinned at her. “Up to the common room, we go yes?”

Making their way up, Peter and Portia lead the pack. Spotting Barty in the corridor she smiled kindly as he nodded in acknowledgement.

“What? Don’t want to follow your boyfriend down to the library?” Remus muttered under his breath, obviously not intending to be heard.

Hermione turned to him eyes ablaze. “How _dare_ you?” In her fury she barely noticed Peter ushering everyone through a door that Portia was holding open.

“Me?! You’re the one dating that… Ravenclaw!” Remus spluttered back.

“There is nothing wrong with Ravenclaw and even if there was, at least he’s smarter than you! He _certainly_ wouldn’t jump to conclusions about something he knew nothing about!”

“He is not smarter than I am, and I am absolutely not jumping to conclusions! I saw that hickey on your neck, Portia even confirmed it as I walked in!” Remus shouted back, all eyes in the group turning to Hermione, who was turning a furious shade of red.

“That was a _hot toffee burn_ and if you’d listened properly you’d have heard Portia say that it _looks_ like one. Not that any of this is any your business Remus Lupin! You have no right to judge me! I am _not_ your girlfriend, you’ve never even asked me to walk around the lake with you let alone a date at Hogsmeade!”

“That- That is beside the point!” Remus spluttered with embarrassment and frustration.

“No, it’s exactly the point! We were getting along really well, and when I thought you might actually ask me, you stopped talking to me the same and you were always busy. You pulled away, not me!”

“I _can’t_ ask you out, it’s not safe!”

“ARGH! For the love of Merlin, I don’t care that you’re a werewolf! Portia’s almost the bloody same and I still love her, you great bloody cad!” With that, she stormed out slamming the door.

* * *

 

 

All eyes turned to Portia. “Well, the wolf is out of the bag now…” Portia said sheepishly, Peter standing behind the rest trying not to laugh.

“Wait… So you’re…”

“Not exactly, I was bitten by a fanatic. I’d wager that he’d lost his damn mind a long time ago, but as a result, he’d developed a bloodlust for human outside of the transformations. He bit me while he was human. The lycanthropy contagion is present in the saliva of the infected at all times but, it’s not completely active until the full moon, the inactive contagion can’t induce a transformation, but it can influence things like the senses, mood, dietary requirements and my skin feels kind of, uncomfortable, during the full moon.”

“Did you tell them about me?” Remus looked at Peter. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?” He pointed at Portia.

Peter stared wide-eyed, panicked.

“He didn’t know I knew about you and I assume he didn’t tell you about me for the same reason he didn’t tell me about you,” Portia said bluntly.

“Then how did you know?” Sirius growled from the back.

“My family has been researching a cure for lycanthropy since forever. I had my suspicions, but when Dumbledore asked for the Wolfsbane recipe I knew, I’m fairly sure that’s how Hermione knew too, but it’s not like we’ve sat down and had a conversation about this.” Portia shrugged.

The room went quite as they absorbed the information.

* * *

 

 

Portia sat in front of the common room fireplace. She’d forgotten how seemingly complicated school could get, it was stupid really. Half of the drama was completely unnecessary and completely avoidable, had anyone bothered to sit down and _talk_. But that was life as well wasn’t it? Just a tangled mess of emotions and misunderstandings.

A creek sounded and she turned to watch the portrait door swing open. Seeing Sirius’ floppy black she turned toward the fire again.

“Hey,” Sirius spoke, unsure.

“Isn’t it passed your bedtime?” Portia smiled small.

Sirius visibly relaxed. “Well, I had to work out a way to sorry. I couldn’t find a store that sold, ‘Sorry I could have killed you,’ cards.”

“Really? You’d think that’d be quite popular.”

Sirius barked a laugh and handed her a black box with a gold ribbon about the size of a mug.

She frowned. Lifting the lid carefully, the sides fell apart and there sat a cupcake. She laughed and took a bite.

 _Pistachio with chocolate frosting_.

“Ff-orvven,” Portia mumbled very satisfied with a mouthful of cupcake.

 Sirius grinned at her.

Finishing her bite, she looked at him suspiciously. “Peter?”

“Yeah, took me forever to get it out of him, though. He wasn’t too willing to tell me anything after, you know possibly putting you in harm's way. He’s more stubborn than I thought.” Sirius scratched his head.

“Well, Thank you. It was incredibly kind of you.”

“Well, I’ve been an enormous git, so…”

* * *

 

 

Things had been different since Hermione’s outburst. She hadn’t spoken to him, or anyone besides Portia and Lily. He didn’t know what to do, his whole world had been turned upside down.

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the Hogwarts Express window. Shouldn’t he be jumping for joy? He’d managed to stumble along people outside of the marauders who’d accept him despite his condition, who actually understood, people who’d been searching for a cure for people like him, but all he could feel was dread. Like the more people he befriended, the more that were in danger of him.

The door slid open and Portia appeared leaning against the frame.

“You, you, and you,” She pointed at James, Sirius and Peter, “out. Now.”

Remus frowned when his so-called ‘friends’ fled from the room without a fight, leaving him for, what he was sure was the slaughter. He watched as she came to sit opposite him.

“We don’t really talk much, and, I don’t know you anywhere near as well as say Sirius or Peter, but you’re an idiot.”

Remus almost choked on his spit. _Well_.

“Pull your head out of your arse. You're worried about the danger you might pose to her. Remus you might want to consider what danger _she_ poses to _you_. Before coming to Hogwarts, Hermione was a part of a family that literally told dark what's-his-face and his followers, to shove his megalomaniac offer up his pale white rear. They then proceeded to hunt her family down, burn her house to the ground, kill her family, and then attempt to murder her. What do you think is going to happen when she graduates?”

Portia was silent for a moment and Remus let it sink in.

“Does that make you feel like leaving her?” She whispered.

Remus shook his head. “If… if anything it makes me feel… protective.”

“Right. So how do you think she feels? Except her battle is harder because she’s trying to protect you from you and when it comes down to it, you really don’t want to hurt anyone, let alone yourself, you're  just stubborn and scared, rightfully so. A certain amount of fear is okay. it's what keeps us alive, but don't let it stop you living. Besides, compared to the people who might very well target her in the future? You’re a boggart.”

Remus looked at her bemused. “I’m a boggart?”

She shrugged. “Yea, you might scare the crap out of us once and a while but with the precautions you take and that new potion, you’re ultimately harmless. “

Remus chuckled. “You know, you’re blunt, very abrupt and borderline mean but your heart’s never in the wrong place.“

He watched as she walked to the door and stopped to face him. “Listen, the ministry and the school aren't going to warn you, but we’re walking from graduation, straight into a war and all of your friends fit the profile for a target in one way or another. Cut the drama as short as you can because you’re all going to need all the happy memories you can create.”

“Our.” Remus smiled.

“What?” She looked confused.

“You’ve seemingly accepted responsibility for our wellbeing without realising that we’ve adopted you too. So, they’re _our_ friends.”

Sirius burst through the door and wrapped his arms around her; James pushed through to the opposite side and joined, while Peter, having fallen to the floor, wrapped his arms around her legs.

Remus grinned at her alarmed expression.

“Yeah, you’re _ours_ now.”  Sirius grinned.

Remus watched her horrified face go from Sirius to him.

“I blame you for this.”

Remus grinned, partly because it was hilarious, and partly because he was certain she could smell fear, and honestly, he was a little afraid of her.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione adored the cottage that Portia had pulled from the property portfolio. She placed her bags beside the front door as she stepped through into the large family room, smiling she couldn’t help but imagine her future in here. She moved into the kitchen, watching visions of her future friends and family move around the light and airy space.  She stared as her mind produced imaginings of herself and Lily preparing food for a dinner party as Portia watched on with a glass of wine in hand, swatting Sirius and Peters hands as they attempted to pinch food before dinner. Her eyes moved to the dining room that was separated from the deck with large glass sliding doors.

“Move over Remus, I think Hermione’s in love.” Lily chuckled from the lounge room.

“The bookcase in the living room goes down into a study and private library, which is magically enlarged and about three times larger than you think it is, so please don’t get lost. There are four bedrooms upstairs and the main bathroom, but there is an extra toilet downstairs too.” Portia scratched her head. “I think that’s it. Oh, and do me a favour and don’t go out the front alone, there was an attack on a muggle-born last month and I’m rather fond of you two.” She grinned crookedly before heading upstairs.

“Are you sure it’s safe here?” Lily frowned at Hermione.

“Perfectly, Portia’s rather pernickety when it comes to safety.” Hermione hummed. “I saw the portfolio, there was a house without a reported attack, but I’m assuming she figured the same thing I did.” She shrugged.

“Which is?” Lily pushed.

Hermione hesitated. “That either an attack was going to happen soon or…”

Lily looked at her expectantly.

“Or it’s that bad that people are too afraid to report anything,” Portia said flatly from the bottom of the stairs. “It seems that in the few months we’ve been at Hogwarts that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket.”

An unsettling silence filled the room that was mercifully broken when a raggedy owl landed in the window with a hoot.

* * *

 

 

Hermione stared at the unopened letter on the table. Since the owl had dropped it off three days earlier it had caused some serious inner turmoil. Remus’ neat scrawl mocked her from the chair. She’d felt so embarrassed when she’d blurted out Portia’s secret, luckily Portia hadn’t minded in the least, but that was far from the point.

Then she’d rushed out in a fit of frustration and anger and left Portia to deal with the whole situation and of course, like the trained aristocrat she was, she couldn’t have handled it better had it been scripted, alas that was not the point, and she felt horrible for putting her family in such a position.

There was a knock at the door and she stubbornly ignored it.

When the door clicked open despite her wards, she knew it was Portia.

“There’s a visitor for you waiting in the library.”

She glared at Portia suspiciously. “Who?”

“Remus of course, I invited him over because you refused to acknowledge his letter, which is extremely rude behaviour, particularly when he’s trying to apologise.”

“That was not for you to decide!” Hermione snapped.

“You’re right, it wasn’t. Thankfully, I don’t give a damn.” Portia smiled sardonically at her and it made Hermione want to hit her. “You know what is coming. Do you really want to walk into it like this? Or do you want him by your side?”

Hermione glared at her.

“I know it’s not fair of me to push this, but you want to be with him, and how can you be if you won’t let him fix his mistake. I wouldn’t overstep such a personal line if I wasn’t completely sure on the issue, you’ll be happy with him Hermione, _trust me_.” Portia paused in the doorway. “Go easy on him, life has been hard. Yes, I know yours has not been a walk in the park, but the prejudice you felt at Hogwarts, he has felt his _entire_ life. He's been made to feel like a monster, and that is a very hard lesson to unlearn.”

* * *

 

 

Hermione watched Portia exit the library and nodded to her as she slipped in.

Remus was frowning into his tea cup.

She cleared her throat quietly.

He looked up and jumped when he saw her, spilling his tea.

“Hermione! I… oh, bother, I um.” He sounded flustered as he tried to clean the mess on his trousers.

Hermione gave a small smile and waved her wand, cleaning his trousers for him. He was rather adorable when he was flustered.

“Oh, uh, yes… magic.” Remus smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t think you were going to come see me.”

“Left to my own devices, I probably wouldn’t have, but my cousin is…” Hermione struggled to find words for her.

“It’s okay I understand, she gave a short visit on the train.”

Hermione frowned somewhat annoyed. “She did?”

Noticing her expression, Remus chuckled. “It was nothing really, just a kick up the arse that was sorely overdue if I am to go by the opinion of the others.”

“Well…” Hermione said unsure of how to continue.

“I am sorry,” Remus said looking up from the table after a short awkward silence. “I mean obviously I am, otherwise there would be no point being here but you deserve an explanation and shortly after Portia’s visit on the train I realised that much to my disgust, I haven’t got one. My behaviour was deplorable, I acted like a stupid, jealous little boy, despite knowing that I didn’t have any right to be annoyed at you and I can only beg for your forgiveness and hope that you are merciful and realise that no matter how intelligent I usually am, I am above all, a stupid, hormone-driven boy and hope you can love me anyway.”

Hermione smiled. “Well, I’m not sure about love as of yet, but I can definitely fancy a stupid, hormone-driven boy.”

“Would it be too much to ask if you would be my date to the Potter’s ball?”

“Not at all, I’d love to go with you.”

* * *

 

Hermione sat on the couch with Lily, both engrossed in their chosen books.

“Right, up we get, you and Lily are to going to get ready and come with me to Diagon Alley, we’re going dress shopping for the Potter’s New Year Ball. While we’re there, may as well get our Christmas shopping done too.” Portia spoke firmly from the door.

“But I just got to the good part,” Hermione whined uncharacteristically.

“Oh I’m sorry, apparently I gave the impression that was a request. It’s not.” She deadpanned. “I’m pulling rank as head of the house.”

“Are you serious?” Hermione moaned.

“Of course not, he’s at the Potters. Honestly, you call yourself my cousin.” Portia shook her head in mock disappointment.

Hermione and Lily blinked at her.

“Yeah, I felt all kinds of wrong saying it, but I couldn’t let it slip, the boys wouldn’t have.” Portia shrugged uncomfortably.

“Looks like the Marauders put a kink your armour there Harmen.” Lily smiled smugly.

“You’re dating Potter, you don’t get to be smug.” Portia huffed. “Just get ready, we’re going to be late.”

Watching Portia walk off in a sulk, she smiled. “I think she actually misses them.”

It took her two minutes to get dress and meet them in the reception room. The Floo already blazing green when she stepped into the room, Portia stepped into the fire and with a shout of, “Twilfitt and Tatting's” disappeared with a burst of flame.

She sent Lily through next and followed through after double checking the wards. Hermione landed with a bit of a stumble and flushed pink until she spotted Portia still sprawled out on the floor from her landing.

“Portia! Darling! It’s simply been forever!” An exuberant voice came from the back. A beautiful dark-skinned curvy woman, slightly older than themselves walked through from the back and looked around perplexed until Hermione pointed to the floor. “You used the Floo, didn’t you? My dear girl, when _will_ you learn your lesson, I remember the first time you fell through my floo, your mother following shortly after, bless her soul.”

She offered her hand to Portia, who took it with a lopsided grin and stood up. Hermione would have helped her up eventually, but she just couldn’t take her eyes from the woman’s hair! It was red in some places, orange in others, short, choppy, and honestly looked as if Fawkes had fallen asleep on her head.

Shaking herself she stepped into the room further moving to stand beside Lily, who had started hovering beside Portia. As always Portia had found the nearest armchair and sat in it sideways.

“Now let me look at you two.” The woman did a figure eight between the girls, poking flesh, extending limbs, examining hair, looking at eye colour and generally invading their space. “My you have a gorgeous family Portia, you can just tell the beauty is more than skin-deep.” She complimented.

“Oh! I’m not…” Lily started, shock written on her face.

“Yes, you are.” Portia cut her off.

 Hermione smiled, she might have sounded bored, but Hermione knew otherwise. Portia had accepted Lily into the family, she probably had some official document stating as such too, she just hadn’t bothered to tell anyone.

“Ladies, I am Madam Zabini and welcome to my shop.” She snapped her fingers and two curtains behind her flew open revealing dressing rooms. “If you would kindly step into a dressing room and undress, I’ll bring some dresses and we can get started.”

Hermione looked between her and Lily, then to Portia. “What about her?”

Madam Zabini waved the question away with a hand. “She’ll wear what I tell her to.”

Portia snorted from behind a magazine.

Twelve dresses later Hermione was pulling a periwinkle coloured dress through the curtain. She smiled as she thought of the Yule Ball.

The strapless silk gown covered the front of her beautifully, bunching in places at the top and smoothing out towards the bottom. The dress dipped immediately after covering her breasts and secured at her lower back, falling into a short train. Hermione, tilted her head at the image in the mirror, if you were thinking indecently, it almost looked as if she’d wrapped a silk sheet around her in a rush, and she was positive that a charm was being used to ensure the front didn’t fall from her body.

Hermione bit her lip. Despite the slightly scandalous look, she adored it.

“You ready yet?” Portia called.

Taking a breath she pulled aside the curtain and stepped out.

“Well, damn.” Portia grinned brightly.

“What? What am I missing? Is she gorgeous? I can’t get this damn dress off!” Lily rushed from the room beside hers.

Lily burst through the curtain in a dressing gown and froze at the sight of her. “Oh my! Hermione, you look so beautiful.” She sighed.

Madam Zabini smiled proudly. “That’s the one, I simply will not let you try another. I’ll pack it away for you.”

“Go on, you’ve still got a dress to find miss.” Portia shoo-ed Lily back into the cubicle.

Rolling her eyes Lily walked back into the dressing room and shoved the curtain shut. “I’m tired of this, there are so many dresses and not one suits this bloody red hair!”

A slow calculated smile came across Madam Zabini’s face, swiftly moving into the back she came back with a dress box and handed it over the top of the curtain. “Try this lovely, I think this is the one.”

A moment later a gasp sounded and Lily stepped out in an emerald green ball gown that matched her eyes and complimented her hair. Where Hermione’s flared at the bottom, Lily’s stayed straight, making her look refined and elegant.

Portia smiled. “Dirty blood my left foot,” she scoffed, “ _that_ is what magic looks like.” Hermione nodded fervently at the sentiment.

Portia and Madam Zabini were speaking in quietly in the corner of the little boutique as Hermione waited for Lily to get dressed.

With a nod and a slight bow between Portia and Madam Zabini, she joined them at the door. “Ready for some Christmas shopping?”

* * *

 

 

Lily had to admit, shopping with Hermione and Portia was something else. Where most would have had made finding dresses for themselves the pinnacle of the day, they made their Christmas shopping for their friends the highlight.

Despite this, Hermione and herself were stuck on a present for Sirius and Peter. Giving up they gave each other a look and sidled up to Portia.

“Hey Portia, you know how smart you are?” Hermione started.

“What do you want?” The eye roll was instantaneous.

“We need help on gifts for Sirius and Peter.” Lily smiled sheepishly. “Since you know them best…”

“Is that all? I thought you two were going to ask for a pony or something. Well, one of you could get Pete a book on photography while the other gets some different types of magical film, he’ll love it especially since I got him a new camera.”

“He’s into photography?” Hermione asked baffled.

“Yeah, he’s actually taken some pretty amazing photos too.”

Lily shrugged, it made sense he was talented at something she supposed. “And Sirius?”

“A general mechanics guide to motorcycles, and some muggle magic tricks.”

“Black has a bike?” Lily frowned.

“No, but he wants one.” Portia grinned and Lily could almost see the rebellious excitement bouncing in her eyes at the thought.

Hermione, however, looked a tad horrified. “Does Dorea know?”

“Merlin, no and if you value our lives you won’t tell her, or tell her we knew!” Portia threw back.

“You want me to lie to Dorea?” Hermione squealed.

“There is a difference between lying and not running off to tattle tale Hermione. I’m not asking you to look her in the eye and lie, I’m just asking you not to mention anything to her unless she specifically asks, and we both know she’ll go for my blood before yours.”

“She sounds kind of frightening.” Lily piped up quietly.

The girls blinked at her. “No, no, no, Dorea is one of the nicest women you’ll ever meet, but when it comes to her babies…”

“James and Sirius.” Portia offered.

“She gets a little panicked over their safety. I mean you’ve seen what they get up to at school, can you imagine what has happened at home? Dorea used to tell us the most outlandish stories of the boys during afternoon tea, but we hadn’t ever met them so we never really believed her.” Hermione shrugged.

“We do now, I’ve still got purple streaks in my hair,” Portia said flatly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Glamour charm?” She asked eyeing her chocolate brown curls.

A flat nod and they were moving off into another store.

* * *

 

 

Hermione had to admit, she loved looking at the things in the junk shop, yes perhaps the majority of it was broken, but she liked to look at them and try work out what they may have been before getting to that state or buying it just to see if she could fix it.

 Picking a particularly damaged titbit from a basket on the shelf she smiled. Her eyes shifted to a small murky porthole window that showed the back alley to the store. Dirt and dust fogged the image but she could clearly see two people, one advancing on the other. Using a rag left on the shelf she cleared the window and froze with shock.

There, standing in the alley was Antonin Dolohov cornering Regulus Black.

“Portia come here!” She hissed trying not to gain Lily’s attention.

Frowning Portia tossed something back into a basket and peered out the window she was gesturing to. Hermione watched her face go blank.

“Keep Lily busy, she’s not going to approve of what I’m about to do,” Portia spared her a quick glance, “I doubt you will either, but there’s really no time for a moral debate.”

Hermione bit her lip. _Portia had done this for years, so she knew the best way to go around it, right?_

* * *

 

 

She watched as Hermione pulled Lily over to the store owner. Drawing an arch on the wall with her wand she slipped through the bricks silently.

Doholov dragged a finger down Regulus’ face. “You know you’re quite pretty for a boy, and there’s a fair few who don’t discriminate based on gender.”

She took a slow breath when she felt the fire inside her rage at the implications of his words.

“ _Pertrificus Totalus_.” Dolohov froze and Regulus slipped away from the man to stand in the opposite corner.

Flicking her wand she turned Dolohov to face her and set him down. Looking into his eyes she sighed. _He was going to fight her on this, long way round we go then._

“Let’s not be difficult about this, yea? I haven’t got the time to try rebuild your mind if I tear it apart trying to get in.” Taking a breath she raised her wand to his temple. “ _Legilimens_.”

She felt the walls rise up and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Pushing past them with ease she sorted through images and emotions until she found what she was looking for.

He’d received his orders a week ago; recruit Regulus Black. Fortunately for her, Regulus seemed to be adept at cat and mouse and he’d only just managed to find him.

Portia began to pull on the threads holding the recent memories in his mind, once they unravelled she began sewing new ones in, ones of searching through stores and alleys, feelings of frustrations and fear of failure. Pulling herself out she blinked before pointing her wand between his eyes. _Imperio_. “You will go to the pub and drink until you pass out. You will forget this encounter and no potion, nor spell, nor legilimens will _ever_ retrieve this memory.” She spoke firm and clear before waving her wand and lifting the body bind.

Once Dolohov had turned the corner, Portia turned around only to spot Hermione with her head poking through the wall. “Don’t you think that was a bit over the top?” She asked stiffly.

 _Great, she’s going to have a fit later_. “We don’t exactly have the luxury of taking a chance at the moment.” Portia raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking where Lily was.

“Speaking to store owner about his Hippogriff farm, you might want to hurry it up though I think her patience is wearing thin.” She added before disappearing again.

Portia scanned the alley carefully looking for any evidence that may point to what had occurred.

“I didn’t need your help.” snarled the boy in the corner.

“Oh, course not Little Black you had it all figured out.” She snarled back. “I saw that flicker of fear when he stroked your face Little Black, and guess what? It gets so much worse and by the time you realise just what horrors you’ve gotten yourself into he’ll already have you branded and tagged. Even if you can actually stomach the atrocities that he’ll make you commit, you’ll never be safe. You’ll never be able to have a family, continue the family name without the fear that he’ll go after your children, after your heir should you fail him. Then where does that leave the _Most Ancient and Noble House of Black_? You are so desperate to make up for the fact that Sirius isn’t there that you aren’t even looking at it clearly.”

“You know nothing of my brother and I!” Regulus roared at her.

Portia softened. “I know that the fallout was devastating on both sides. I know that you miss each other. I know that love doesn’t fade over something as stupid as this. Unless of course, you’re Bellatrix Lestrange, but somehow I doubt you really want to be the one to identify with her.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Look, just, think about what I said, and if you ever need the help, contact me. You’re proficient at occlumency correct?”

He nodded stiffly.

“Good, see you back at school Little Black.”


	14. Chapter 14

Lily honestly had no idea what on earth had happened between Hermione and Portia but she knew it would explode soon.

Everything had been fine until the junk shop, Hermione had ditched her with the shopkeeper who had moved on from his hippogriffs and was speaking at length about his Llamas, and when they walked out Hermione was so frustrated her hair was crackling furiously.

Lily had to admit, it threw her for a loop and if Portia noticed she didn’t show it. Which just seemed to have annoyed Hermione even more and Lily honestly could not tell whether Portia was completely oblivious or not.

Regardless, the moment they entered the house Lily borrowed a few books and disappeared into her room telling the girls she was exhausted and was in desperate need of some down time. Hopefully, they would have their spat and everything would go back to normal, although if they were anything like Petunia and herself, several plates would be broken, perhaps they would have the foresight not to attempt to sort things in the kitchen…

* * *

 

 

Portia slipped upstairs as Lily made her excuses; making her way into her room she tapped the bookcase with her wand. She watched the bookcase silently creep left along the wall revealing several shelves set into the wall, picking up a black teacup with a twisty golden inlay, she began to browse through the bottles occupying the shelves.

Tapping the top on a bottle with her wand she watched as her teacup filled with a dark amber liquid, satisfied she tapped the bookcase closed and waved her wand over the teacup, glamouring it to the hue of a strong tea, before setting off down the stairs towards the kitchen.

The door had barely shut behind her when Hermione turned on her. “Just _where_ have you been?”

Sighing internally she took a sip from her cup and relished in the smooth burn before sitting at the table.

* * *

 

 

“Forget that.” She waved the question after before looking Portia dead in the eye. “What in the name of Merlins’ great beard did you think you were doing today?”

“It was the best option for everyone at the time,”  Portia spoke calmly before taking a large sip from her cup.

“Best option? Portia that spell is illegal for a good reason, and besides that, what if someone had seen you?! What of Regulus Black? He _did_ see you!”

“I made sure the area was secure, honestly, I am not a novice. There was no way anyone, besides those who needed to, were going to see me. As for Regulus, telling people would cause him more grief than good, he isn’t stupid.”

“He’s almost a death eater!”

Portia rolled her eyes exasperated. “I didn’t claim he was brilliant.”

She couldn’t help but gape at her. “Didn’t claim he was… My gods Portia! You risked our entire purpose for being here!”

Portia’s narrowed eyes turned to her sharply. “What do you suggest I do next time then?”

“You could have oblivated him! If you’re so proficient using an unforgivable, then it should be easy!”

“It would take two seconds for Dolohov to realise he was missing his memories from today and put it together with recruiting Regulus! He’d hunt Little Black down for revenge or worse simply tell Riddle he was unwilling,” Portia clenched her jaw before continuing quietly, “do you know what they did to Sirius when he refused? If Orion and Walburga Black didn’t kill Regulus for refusing, Riddle would.”

“I just don’t think that spell was necessary.”

“I did the best thing for everyone involved, I don’t care if you don’t like the way I did it.” Portia snapped.

She felt her teeth grind together involuntarily. “Maybe you should.”

Hermione felt a chill go down her spine as Portia’s sharp eyes met hers as she stood slowly, looming over her.

“Let’s make one thing very clear. I’ve been doing this long before your grandparents were even conceived and it’s been a terribly long life. I’ve had to do things that I am not proud of, but it has always, _always_ , been in the best interest of those involved and I will _not_ be treated like a naughty child due for a time out.” Portia swept out of the room, her robe fluttering behind her and Hermione could have sworn she took the warmth from the room as she left.

* * *

 

 

Portia could feel the frustration radiating off of Hermione Christmas morning, sighing she placed a steaming hot pile of pancakes in front of her.

“Apple Cinnamon, with a dollop of frozen yoghurt.”

_A peace offering._

“Thank you.” Hermione offered up a small smile, placating her a little.

“I’m not used to defending my actions, and when I have had to, I’ve never had to live with their opinion for long, and so caring has never seemed a necessary practice. That being said, I won’t apologise for my actions, it was the only thing that I knew with absolute certainty, would keep everyone safe.”

She almost smiled as she watched Hermione pick her words as carefully as she did. “I know. I thought about it a lot last night, and while I am not comfortable with it, everything I could think of ran a higher chance of being thought suspect.”

“Good, now we have that sorted out I should go give this muffin to Lily, she said she was feeling a little under the weather.”

“I’m here but I honestly don’t think I could eat anything,” Lily spoke softly as she sat down at the table with them.

“You need to eat something, the muffin with making you feel better I promise.” Portia grinned at her and Hermione eyed the muffin suspiciously.

At half past nine, Portia quietly apparated them into an alley on the outskirts of a small closely built village.

“Before we head up to the Potter’s, I want to give you two an early present.” Portia pulled the bracelets that had arrived that morning out of her pocket. “These were a pain to get made, but I think you’ll both appreciate just why.”

Moving the links together the chain became smaller and smaller until they formed a simple silver ring, placing the ring on her palm, she let Hermione and Lily examine it for a moment before stretching it out again, this time further until it was a gorgeous thin silver necklace.

“The enchantments required to get this right must have been phenomenal,” Lily muttered fascinated, as Portia slipped one over her head. She gasped when a small medallion with a single quill etched into its surfaced appeared on the necklace.

Hermione, seeing the medallion turned to her bracelet only to find, a tiny silver Hogwarts: A History hanging from it.

“The longer you wear it the more you’ll gather, the necklace has a medallion, the bracelet has charms and the ring has engravings. Traditionally our family would have them specially made for family members on their sixteenth birthday, it’s a sort of hallmark I guess, unique to our family. I got mine early because mum wanted to give it to me before she died, but the last few years we forgot some traditions because of the upcoming war. So, I’m giving them to their rightful owners now.” Portia nodded before attempting to exit the alley.

“Portia this is really… thank you, but…” Lily started.

“You’re keeping it, Lily. There are a thousand reasons why, but all you really need to know is that if you try to give that back, I will translate all your NEWTS notes to gobbledegook. Now, how about you and Hermione set off up the hill to the Potter's, I’ll pop off to the bakery and meet you there.”

Portia watched them until they reached the top of the hill before turning and heading in the opposite direction. The smell of fresh bread filled her lungs as she opened the bakery door and she sighed in contentment.

“Hello, dearie.” An elderly man stood behind the counter smiling kindly.

“Good morning Sir, I have an order to pick up.” She smiled back. “The name’s Wyght.”

A crash sounded from the alley beside the shop as he came from the back with a large basket of bread and pastries.

“Never mind the noise dearie, it’s just the stray cats getting into it again. Have a Merry Christmas.”

“And you!” Portia replied merrily.

As she exited the shop another clang sounded and on a whim, she slipped her wand from her halter and turned left into the alley. She slipped soundlessly into the unusual darkness, midway she noticed shadows moving around, in her haste to raise her wand she kicked a glass bottle, the clatter echoing loudly.

The shadows stilled and a sudden streak of red light came hurtling towards her, she deflected it but not before a familiar crack of apparation sounded through the alley leaving just her and a dark figure lying unmoving in the shadows.

“Lumos.” Light filled the alley, she set down her basket and toed toward the figure, pulling the cloak from across their face she sighed irritated.

“Shit. You have the worst timing.” She wasn’t about to wait around for an answer from an unconscious man, though. “Lottie!”

* * *

 

 

The Marauders, Mr and Mrs Potter, Lily and Hermione sat in the lounge room laughing at a particularly enjoyable story from Dorea when a POP sounded in the hall. The doors opened and in walked a smallish elf carrying a rather large for her size basket filled with pastry.

Dorea boggled. “Lottie!”

“The pastry is for Mrs Potter and the note is for Lord Potter!” she exclaimed excitedly plucking a note from amongst the rolls.

“Dear it’s in Gobbledegook, I can’t read this.” Dorea sighed passing it to Charlus.

Charlus scanned the note before kissing his wife on the cheek. “I’ll be back before you open the presents.”

* * *

 

 

“Oh, honestly would you shut up anyone would think you were dying.”

“I was! This bloody well hurts you know!”

“Yes well, it’s a fucking miracle I found you in the first place so…”

The shed door flew open with the winter wind and in stepped Charlus.

“I’ve sealed the area off to everyone except myself. Now would you mind telling me what happened? There is quite a bit of blood in that alley.” Charlus said frowning.

Portia moved from where she stood to reveal a figure on the floor. “Charlus, I believe you’ve met Alphard Black.”

There, on the floor was a furious, blood-stained Alphard Black, who had been relieved of half his left leg.

“Alphard! What in the name of Godric happened to you?” Charlus spoke appalled.

“My damn sister happened. Regulus had been staying at my house while he pulled a disappearing act on his parents and I tried to talk some sense into the dullard of a boy. Then today of all days Walburga shows up, we get into the usual Black row, next thing I know she’s hit me with an eight-hundred-year-old vase and I wake up to this fiend!”

“Keep calling me names and I’ll find another vase.” Portia snapped back.

“Right now, that’s enough of that. We need to work out what we are going to do with you.” Charlus rubbed his temples. “Couldn’t you have waited until after Christmas?”

“Oh yes Charlus, the Blacks have always been a predictable, patient bunch.”

“We pronounce him dead.”

“What?” Charlus and Alphard echoed.

Portia sighed. “It’s the only thing we can do. Walburga left him to bleed out, she got out of there before she saw me deflect her curse so as far as she knows, Alphard is bleeding out next to a muggle in some alley. If he comes back alive, she going to want to kill whoever saved him and I can’t afford the attention. If he’s ‘dead’ then he can go play hide away.”

“Now wait just a bloody minute there’s a war around to erupt! If Sirius and Regulus meet on the battlefield they’ll kill each other.”

“Alphard, Portia holds a fair argument. Now I can assure you we will protect Sirius as if he were one of our own. Maybe if we can convince Regulus…”

“It’s too late. Dolohov is on his tail, he’s being recruited. I don’t know if he’s entirely sure about it, but he’s either going to die saying no or say yes just to stay alive.” Portia sighed.

“I’ll take him away when I go into hiding.” Alphard nodded.

 “We can’t just spirit him away, there’s no way to tell if he’d put up a fight and Walburga and Orion would tear apart the planet to get their only viable heir back, not to mention the trouble it’d cause at work,” Charlus explained.

“Then fake his death like you want to with me.” Alphard waved the issue off.

“That would put your family on a warpath and with all due respect, we already have our hands full with one raging psychopath trying to destroy the world.” Portia drawled.

“I refuse to let the Black name go extinct by destroying itself.” Alphard huffed.

Charlus and Portia looked at each other.

“I can watch out for him this year but honestly, I don’t think he’ll give him anything to do until after he graduates, there’s too much to gain from having a student keep watch on Dumbledore. Not to mention the recruits he could reap,” said Portia.

“Surely he wouldn’t recruit from children,” Charlus asked incredulously.

“It’s what I would do.” Alphard looked between Charlus and Portia before shrugging. “Not that I’ve thought about it.”

“Look, I will do my very best for Regulus but ultimately it’s up to him, and until you learn to walk on a prosthetic you aren’t going anywhere. I’ll arrange for everything and you can stay at one of my safe houses.”

“A fat lot of good a safe house did for your family.” Alphard scoffed.

“One of _my_ safe houses, not the Harmen’s you ungrateful oaf.”

“How is it you two know each other?” Charlus asked exasperatedly.

“He was eleven wandering around Knockturn alley, almost got himself killed the tosser.”

“Hag! You…”

“Hold on tight.” Portia tossed him a tangerine turned portkey from her pocket and watched with satisfaction as he disappeared.

“A death without a body, I can already feel the headache all this paperwork is going to give me.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Grabbing her package from the corner, she unwrapped the cloak and presented it to Charlus.

“Is that… Is that Alphard’s leg?” Charlus asked.

“Yes. Well partially, I couldn’t find his knee and without it, it’s useless to him.” Portia shrugged. “I figured you’d need something to show and I didn’t want to leave it just in case you didn’t get there in time. Alphard and I have a mutual fondness that we show by arguing, insulting and hexing each other but letting his leg be eaten by a stray animal? Yea that’s definitely crossing a line.”

“Good to know. I’ll just take this…” Charlus said lifted the cloak and leg from her, “and you are going to head on inside.”

“Done deal.” Portia smiled giving a salute before heading for the house.

* * *

 

 

Hermione looked around her new found group of friends and couldn’t help but grin. It was so nice, having this chance was so very incredible and when that tiny part that still felt guilty about leaving everyone behind popped up. She took a breath and reminded herself that it hasn’t happened yet and she hasn’t really abandoned them.

Peter snapped another picture of Portia and Hermione laughed at the dazed look on her face.

“Pete, I am so very glad you like your camera, but if you blind me again we’re going to have a problem.” She heard Portia groan.

Laughing she thought about Peter opening his presents and the utter joy he displayed when he had discovered they had given him photography gear. Honestly, it was like nothing she’d ever seen from Peter, he was jumping around like a toddler with his favourite action figure. He’d been snapping pictures of them ever since.

Dorea stepped into the room and gave a small smile. Hermione watched as she pocketed a black envelope and took the camera from Peter. “Right boys sit on the couch I’ll give you one silly picture, but I want a nice one too.”

James jumped into the corner seat with Sirius, Peter and Remus sliding in after him. The moment Dorea had snapped them all with their wide goofy grin, Sirius flipped his legs into Peter and Remus laps, his head in James and struck a pose. James, Remus and Peter looked at each other and then Remus and Peter clamped on to Sirius’ legs and as Dorea snapped the picture, James stuck his tongue in Sirius' ear. Hermione couldn't help but burst into laughter as Sirius flailed and cursed, trying to get away.

“That was by far the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had in my ear,” Sirius muttered.

“But not the most disgusting thing you’ve had in your mouth,” Portia said grinning.

“Oi!”

“Oh please, we’ve seen some of the people you’ve ‘dated’.” Lily rolled her eyes.

Portia looked at Lily with mischievous joy. “Oh burn. Look at you throwing some sass around,” she faked a tear and sniffed, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Okay let’s get a picture of the girls before you all turn rogue on me.” Dorea laughed.

“Portia we could turn rogue without an issue…” Sirius considered as the photo was taken.

“Hermione and Lily might be more of a challenge.” Remus finished as Lily swung around to sit upside down on the couch, her head hanging off the cushions, Hermione and Portia following seconds after. 

“Everyone on the couch!” Dorea said.

“There is no way we are all going to fit,” Lily said rolling off the couch.

“The boys can sit on the couch and we’ll sit on the back of the couch between their heads.” Hermione grinned.

Soon, Remus, James, Sirius and Peter sat on the couch, while Hermione, Lily and Portia sat between them respectively.

A flash later and Sirius had pushed Portia backwards off the couch, James had swept Lily into his lap and kissed her, Hermione had planted a giant red bow on Remus’ forehead and Peter was staring at Sirius incredulously. They didn’t notice the flash on the camera, not even when Hermione and James took bets on who would win when Portia had tackled Sirius in retaliation.

* * *

 

 

Dorea sat at the breakfast table holding her teacup pensively. She meant to give it to him last night, she really did, but he was so happy and it was Christmas, she didn’t want to taint one of the few good Christmases he’d had.  Then it’d had gotten late and she’d refused to let the girls go home, instead she put them in the room beside Charlus’ and hers.

Charlus stumbled in and reached for the teapot. “How’d he take it?” Charlus yawned.

“I haven’t given it to him…”

“Dorea…” Charlus said reproachfully.

“I know but it was Christmas, Charlie. I’ll give it to him after breakfast I promise.”

Watching the kids stumble in Dorea grinned. She and Charlus had always wanted more children, but they’d waited too long and after her sweet little Jamie she couldn’t have anymore. Then James had started school and Sirius had followed him home for Christmas first year, Remus and Peter the year after.

Now she had seven teenagers sitting in her kitchen arguing over potions, Quidditch matches and who gets the cereal first. They may not all be hers biologically, but they were definitely her children, even Lily and Hermione who had, had such a brief time with her and Portia, well…

“Stop looking at me like that,” Portia grumbled quietly from beside her.

“Like what dear?” Dorea smiled teasingly.

“Like you want to knit me a jumper and throw me a birthday party complete with a piñata.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t care how I look, I’m not a child.”

“You are in a way. You’ve never experienced a real future.” She looked at her pointedly. “Are you doing anything about that?”

“I am… happy.” Portia said to her in almost a whisper.

Dorea felt hope burst through her chest. There have been many times that she feared she had lost Portia to the fates and no matter how many times Portia told her she wasn’t a child she still felt like wrapping her in her arms and protecting her from whatever dared try hurt her.

“Good.”

When the kids finished up breakfast and attempted to leave Charlus nudged her with his foot, “Oh, Sirius dear.”

“Yea mum?” Sirius grinned and her heart broke a little.

“A letter came for you yesterday, I should have given it to you then, but you’ve… I didn’t want to spoil your Christmas dear and I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Sirius looked confused until he saw the black envelope emerge from her pocket and his face went blank. Taking the envelope from her he flipped it over in his hands before opening it and reading its content.

“There’s nothing to forgive mum,” He gave her a small smile, “I’m glad I didn’t get this yesterday.”

“What’s happened?” James asked tentatively.

“Uncle Alphard died, he, um, he left me… well, he left me everything. His properties, his fortune, all his possessions, he left me everything.” Sirius said slightly dazed.


	15. Chapter 15

Regulus clutched his searing arm, an unnecessary reminder of the day’s events. Checking up and down the hall he slipped into the cupboard under the stairs. His mother had kept a close eye on him since his ‘little stunt’ as she called it and the cupboard was the only safe spot in the house left.

Sirius had found it when they were young. Then he started school and suddenly everything changed, he was constantly in trouble, not that he was the perfect child to begin with but he’d made it pretty clear where he stood when he told his parents he wouldn’t ask to be re-sorted. Then when he came home he’d placed all these enchantments on the cupboard to ensure that Mother wouldn’t find it. A lot of things had changed since then. He was on his own now, and far, far over his head.

Although there was that girl, he hadn’t decided whether she was either insane or stupid but she’d given him a lot to think about.

_Why did she step in? Why risk it? How did she perform an unforgivable with so much ease at such a young age? Why risk life imprisonment just to cover for him? What could she gain from such an act? Had Sirius sent her? No, he thought bitterly, Sirius had made his stance clear long ago. But, he had heard whispers that the Dark Lord had taken out her family, not a house fire. Perhaps she wanted revenge, perhaps she wanted an informant? The stupid girl is bound to wind up dead, but she might be useful in the meantime. She might even get him out of this alive._

Footsteps fell into the hallway and Regulus pushed himself against the wall and slowed his breathing determined not to be found.

“If you fail him again Bellatrix he will not be forgiving.”

“We couldn’t have known they’d give it to children.”

“They should never have escaped.”

“They were ready, someone told them we’d be there, and they were almost gone before we even arrived. One of them must have it, I am certain it wasn’t in that pitiful cottage.”

“It’ll be the eldest; she’s head of house now. You had better hope it’s not in their vault, the goblins won’t even release a summary of assets for the Harmen estate, let alone let you in.”

 _Harmen?_ Regulus frowned thoughtfully.

“Don’t you think I know that?! The girl has it, she must.”

The voices faded down the hall until all he could hear was muted mutterings and he slowly moved back into the seat.

Bellatrix had a plan for that girl in the alley. If he wanted to get out of this alive he needed her alive, he needed to warn her, but how to do it without getting himself killed was the question…

* * *

 

 

Portia groaned and rolled her neck, things had been tense around the house lately. Everyone had been smothering Sirius since he announced his Uncles death and she honestly could not understand it. As far as she was aware Alphard and Sirius weren’t close. Sirius was fiercely loyal but ultimately a loose cannon and Alphard’s only real interest was keeping himself alive. It was one of the reasons she trusted him with her secret, he realised that a secret like that was far more likely to get you killed than give you an advantage. Alphard stayed as far out of matters that could potentially get him killed as physically possible and Sirius, whether he knew it or not, had jumped neck-deep into a war by just being himself.

Alphard’s secondary function was not letting his house die and from Alphard’s point of view Regulus would be the logical choice. So if any relationship existed between the boys and Alphard, it would’ve been with Regulus, which seems likely as Regulus was laying low at his house. So coddling Sirius seemed unnecessary, if not pointless.

However this would not have been a popular point of view so she’d taken to avoiding any area where emotion was running high, because, to be honest, the stuff at home was the least of her worries, her laundry list of things concerning the war effort were increasing with size each day and she was stuck doing the mundane; necessary but frustratingly mundane things.

Sitting back she listed them off in her head as she stared at the cracks in the ceiling.

  1. _Regulus. Namely that he hadn’t wised up and contacted her yet._
  2. _Werewolves._  
2a. Finding if someone took Greybacks place.  
2b. The rogue werewolf in the forest.  
            2c. Remus’ animal friends. Seriously what werewolf makes friends?
  3. _Safeguards for morons who got/will get too deep. (Snape, Regulus, possibly that Crouch kid._
  4. _The inquiry the goblins received about the Harmen Estate.  
4a. Discover the snoop. The Goblins wouldn’t spill so obvious they have money.  
4b. Compose and send a list of things to be moved from the family vault._
  5. _Auror Report for the night they arrived._



_Technically she shouldn’t have it but then, when has that ever stopped her? The curious thing about the report, though, was that it was almost empty. They had had nothing to report. The Deatheaters had razed the cottage. Why? They could have made it look like a break in and feed the pureblood propaganda that muggles were dangerous._

_Of course, that would bring to light to potentially missing objects and if they were looking for something that could be bad. But what on earth would her descendants have that he would want?_

The creak of the kitchen door interrupted her thoughts and she reluctantly looked down to find Sirius strolling towards her.

“Tea?” She offered.

“No thanks, I’m a coffee man myself.”

Portia shrugged. “That's okay, it stopped being tea about ten minutes ago, it’s mostly just Firewhiskey now.”

Handing her a mug, he sat opposite. “Well by all means my good woman.”

They sat in silence for a moment and when it became obviously that Sirius wasn’t going to initiate the conversation, she did. “So you’re hiding.”

“Noticed did you?”

“Doesn’t seem very Gryffindor of you.”

“It’s bloody well not. But I’m not the only one hiding.” He glanced at her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’re very good at being _present_ but not exactly _around_.”

Sirius was more observant than she had thought. She would have to be more careful.

“Noticed did you?”

Sirius smirked. “Touché.”

Portia considered him for a moment. “I went through the paperwork they gave you. He gave you a storage space.”

“He did?”

“He did. It’s listed as your Christmas present.”

He was silent for a moment.

“I know why he did it you know.”

“Did what?”

“Why he left me everything… It’s because Reg and I are on opposite sides of the war, this way no matter who wins, the black name and money live on.”

The words felt bitter; like he planned to make sure neither happened.

“I fail to see what is so wrong with that.” Sirius opened his mouth to retort, a frown etched into his facial features, and Portia raised a hand to pause him. “Admittedly your family is predominantly dark at the moment, but it wasn’t always like that, and it won’t remain that way. Things have a way of going in circles.”

His frown deepened. “You think?”

“You have had incredible people in your family Sirius, people who fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves, they were noble and honourable and I am absolutely certain that not only are they proud of you but that you are one of them.”

Sirius stared resolutely into his drink. “Thanks, Harmen.”

“Now about that storage space…”

* * *

 

 

Hermione wandered through the manor, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders keeping her warm. Opening a set of French doors she walked out onto a balcony, bracing herself for the cold morning air that never reached her. She smiled at the magic keeping her warm as she made her way to the balustrade and overlooked the surrounding gardens.

“Did James’ snoring wake you?”

Hermione turned to him, a slight smile on her lips. “Remus, we are at least eight bedrooms away.”

“You would do well not to underestimate him. James Potter could out snore a troll and I genuinely worry for Lily’s future.”

“Lily is brilliant, I’m sure she’ll sort something out.”

“Well if anyone could battle James’ snoring and come out on top…” Remus shrugged.

Hermione had started to feel slightly guilty over holidays. While she did have every right to be mad, at the very least, annoyed, perhaps she had overreacted a little. She boiled it down to the embarrassment that had come from outing Portia as she had.

“I think I owe you an apology…”

Remus frowned.

“I should have answered your letter, it was childish of me not to,” Hermione spoke quietly.

“Nonsense, Hermione, it was completely understandable. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my own insecurities…”

“You’re a lycanthrope.”

Remus flinched at her bluntness.

“It’s perfectly natural to have insecurities about it, especially considering how some people are about it, but you need to remember that you have people who love you, who would put their lives on the line for you without a moment’s hesitation. People who adore you for all that you are, faults and strengths included and if you think for a moment that we will let you or anyone else get in the way of the amazing future you are absolutely going to have. You. Are. Mistaken.” Hermione poked him in the chest punctuating her last three words.

He was grinning at her.

“Is that so?”

“Stop that.” Hermione frowned.

“Stop what?” Remus grinned wider, advancing on her slowly.

“Stop grinning, it’s not a joke, and, and stop coming toward me.”  She backed up as he came forward, the glint of mischief in his eyes making her heart race.

“Oh, I don’t think any of what you just said was a joke.” Remus scooped her up in his arms and she unwittingly squealed.  “People, who love me huh?”

“Oh! Uh, of, of course! There’s Mr and Mrs Potter, who, who think of you as a son and James and Sirius and P-Peter who think of you as a brother and, and…”

“You.” Remus smiled nuzzling her neck. “You love me…”

She did. He was insecure, a little stubborn, obviously mischievous and however smart he was he could be exceedingly daft at times and she loved him. Hermione relaxed into his arms and hugged him back. Until a deep rumbling noise disturbed her utopia.

“Remus, are you… purring?”

Remus moved back looking affronted. “I’m not a bloody cat.”

“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “But can’t you hear that?”

Remus tilted his head listening. “Oh. That, that sounds like a motorcycle.”

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes once more. “We’re a thousand miles from anyway with a muggle motorcycle.”

“Well considering it’s flying, it’s rather doubtful a muggle owns it anymore.” Remus frowned into the sky behind her.

Turning around, she could see why. Flying directly towards them was two people on what was clearly a motorcycle.

“Uh, maybe was should…” Hermione started.

“Get out of the way? Splendid idea.” Remus finished for her as he pulled them towards the doorway just as it came to land on the balcony.

Hermione pursed her lips. “Where _have_ you been?”

Portia smiled at her. “Alphard left him a storage space, we went to check it out, bloody good Christmas present if you ask me.”

“I’m not going to point out how incredibly irresponsible…”

“You just did.” Portia kindly pointed out.

“…your actions were because I am in an  incredibly good mood.”

“We can see that.” Sirius grinned wide, teeth showing and pointedly looked at Remus’ arm wrapped around her shoulders.

She sniffed, pointedly ignored Remus’ triumphant grin and headed back inside.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very sincerely apologise to everyone waiting for this. Last year... it sucked. I had a lot of health problems, some got better and some like my RA are going to stick with me for life. Which sucks because I'm only 24, but hey, what are you going to do? I haven't been sitting around doing nothing with my time, though, I've very slowly been editing and re-writing most of the chapters so they're ready by the time that I finally finish this story. I started this almost three years ago now and hopefully, my writing has improved and my story telling too. I tried to shove a lot of ideas into this, but something I've learned with this is that sometimes less is more. So there's that. Um, I'm rambling a bit, sorry it's 3 am here, I hope you enjoy and yes I know it ends on a cliffhanger, but you WILL have the next chapter this month I promise, you are welcome to bombard me with messages if it is not.

Portia groaned internally. After leaving Hermione and Lily to their dates, she went on a mission. Circling the ball, she had hunted down each and every person of slight importance that had given any of them a dirty look during their House entrance. Shaking hands and staring down each of them, she'd made her presence known, almost daring one of them to refuse her.

Now she was stuck in a conversation with Abraxas Malfoy, of all the deceitful, dirty-

"If you'll excuse me I think I see my son and his new wife waving me over," Abraxas muttered shortly and shuffled off toward a pair of blondes.

Portia observed the couple before she made eye contact with Narcissa, who had been eying her back with interest.

_How peculiar._

"Portia!" A gruff, feminine voice demanded.

Tearing her eyes from the blonde she turned to the voice, only to come face to face with Augusta Longbottom, no wonder Abraxas had fled so suddenly, the coward.

"Augusta, it's been a long time." Portia smiled cheekily.

"Not long enough, in my opinion," Augusta grumbled at her.

"Come now, no need for that." Portia smiled.

"You ruined my roses." Augusta sniffed.

"You threw a _vase_ at me." She deadpanned back.

Portia rolled her eyes when the woman hmph-ed at her.

"My son and his wife are here. I'd like you to meet them." Augusta stated.

Portia eyed the proud woman in front of her. "I'll do my best."

"FRANK! Frank, my boy!" Augusta shouted over the crowd. A tall man worked his way through the crowd at the refreshments, making it out he smiled at them and brought the petite woman he was shielding into view.

Both had smiling rounded faces and kind eyes, not exactly the image one conveys when they think 'well-respected Aurors'. But, Portia supposed, maybe that was the point.

"Frank, Alice, this is Portia Harmen. Portia, this is my son Frank and his new wife Alice. I've made all the introductions of value, I'm going to bid farewell to Dorea and then I'm going home." Augusta sniffed.

"Mother, you only made one introduction." Frank pointed out only to receive a raised bow and pinched lips as a response.

"Right, have a nice night mother." Frank nodded.

"I don't think Augusta has made an unnecessary introduction or pleasantry in her life." Portia smiled.

"Isn't that the truth!" Alice snorted.

"What's the truth?" Peter spoke up from behind her.

"Augusta Longbottom is terrifying," Alice smirked winking at Portia.

"M-Mrs Longbottom? Where?" Peter squeaked looking a little ill.

"She's long gone by now mate." Frank laughed clapping the younger man on the shoulder.

Portia fell into easy conversation with Alice, finding her a fantastic mix of cheeky and intelligent.

"I'm not going to lie, Auror training has put me to bed aching in places I didn't know could ache, more times than I can count but it's _so_ worth it." Alice's eyes lit with the thrill of a challenge.

"Sorry to break up the party ladies, but Alice and I have a shift in a half hour." Franks deep voice broke through their conversation.

"Oh is it time already?" Alice pouted. "It was brilliant to meet you, Portia, I'll send you an owl when I have the time I swear."

"Don't fret I'm sure we'll catch up sooner or later Alice, It was lovely to meet you too." Portia smiled genuinely.

* * *

 

Peter loved dancing, he wasn't even sure as to why to be honest, no one ever wanted to dance with him. Well, he'd danced with Portia before they'd sat down but that hardly counted as dancing. Not like James and lily were, or Remus and Hermione, or even Sirius and, well anyone he happened to be dancing with really. Not like if he was dancing with…

"Would you go ask already?"

Peter turned to face his friend.

"And what exactly am I supposed to say? Hello, I'm a complete plonker who has no idea what to actually say to you but maybe you'd like to dance with me?"

Portia snickered. "That's not half bad actually."

Peter stared blankly at her.

"Ugh _fine_ , I'll introduce you. It's not as if I'm doing anything interesting anyway." Portia threw her napkin on the table finished her wine, stood up and threaded her arm through his.

"Uh, no, I think not, I wasn't _actually_ suggesting..." Peter spluttered desperately as his friend all but frog-marched him to the other girl.

"Hello," she said, "this is Peter, He's lacking social skills but he's a surprisingly good dancer, so perhaps you'd like to have a gamble and take him for a spin?" Portia smiled.

The girl giggled and Peter exhaled a breath.

"I'd love too."

Peter felt dizzy at her smile.

"Brilliant! I'll leave him in your wonderful care." Portia withdrew her arm and hugged Peter whispering in his ear, "She has three days head start if she hurts you."

"Funny," Peter whispered back and with just a smile he was left with his dance partner.

"Ha, um." Peter scratched his neck. "I don't actually know your name…"

* * *

 

Moving through the crowd Portia spotted Sirius and a very annoyed Dorea heading towards the flirtatious marauder.

_Ever the saviour._

Portia threaded her arm through Sirius' and smiled at the giggling girls.

"Sorry ladies this lazy sod promised me a dance." Portia winked before dragging him onto the dancefloor. "You're _deplorable_." Portia shook her head with a grin as she dragged Sirius away from the girls he was attempting to chat up.

" _You're_ the deplorable one!" Sirius scoffed, "I was a shoe-in and you had to drag me away."

" _I_ saved your butt." Portia pointed over his head and Sirius spun them around, completely out of time to the rest of the dancers on the floor.

"Oh, Mum does look annoyed doesn't she?" Sirius grinned.

"As annoying as you are, I much prefer this Sirius compared to the one we've had lately."

Sirius grinned and candlelight reflected in his eyes. "I still can't believe he got me that bike."

"Neither can I," Portia scoffed, "with all respect, he's lucky he's dead because Dorea would have killed him." _She still might when he comes out of hiding_. She thought slightly amused.

"Peter's talking to a _girl_." Sirius baulked.

"So?"

"He's failing terribly by the look of it." Sirius winced.

What Portia had thought was a promising introduction, seemed to be trailing into a rather awkward encounter.

"Come on Petey, one last chance, you can do it" Portia muttered.

Snapping her fingers the girl fell right into Peters' arms. Peter laughed awkwardly and gestured toward the dance floor as he scratched his head. The girl nodded.

Looking back toward her dance partner Sirius smiled wide, his teeth were pointy and white and for a moment Portia was caught in the feral grin.

"Oh shut up." Portia rolled her eyes, feeling like she'd been caught red-handed, thankfully a house elf nudged her leg.

"Missus is for you." The elf handed her a velvet bag and disappeared once more.

"What's that?" Sirius asked, escorting her to their seats.

"I haven't the foggiest." Taking a seat she tipped the bag onto a plate and a single flower fell from it.

"Weird," muttered Sirius.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Its aconite, which is supposed to mean that danger is near but an adult flower shouldn't be this small, and certainly it shouldn't be black."

Portia raised a brow at him.

"What? I pay attention in Herbology."

"No, you most certainly do not, and Hogwarts hasn't taught floriography in _years_."

"My mother." Sirius stately simply, and Portia decided to leave it at that.

* * *

 

Fairies and decorations swirled around Hermione's head, as Remus twirled her around the floor. The night had been brilliant. Portia had escorted herself and Lily down the grand staircase and stared down the few in the crowd who dared glare at them.

She had thought it was rather amusing to watch herself, Portia must have taken note who had done so, because when they reached the bottom she had passed them off to the boys and circled the room, making sure to shake hands with each of them. Glaring them down like they had done to them on the stairs, imposing on their conversations and demanding respect and acknowledgement. For a moment Hermione had thought Abraxas Malfoy might refuse, but Portia had said something that made the group laugh, and he had given in with a hard set jaw. Remus had snatched her up after that and they'd spent the night dancing, laughing and pinching drinks off the trays that circled the ballroom.

"Come on love, Peter's waving us over."

Sure enough, Peter was waving frantically at the pair.

"Whatever is the matter, Peter?" Hermione laughed.

"Nothing! James is about to ask Lily to move in with him after we finish school." Peter was almost bouncing out of his seat scrounging through Portia's purse.

"Holy Helga," Portia exclaimed snatching the purse back, shoving her arm in elbow deep and producing his camera, "there."

"Thanks!" Peter squeaked fiddling with knobs and switches.

"Really?" Hermione looked to Remus, "They haven't been dating that long."

Remus chuckled. "James has been dating the idea of Lily since our first year, we had to convince him not to _propose_ tonight."

She had to admit, once James had worked out how to be both romance and subtle, he and Lily had gone so smoothly that she could have sworn they had been dating years, not mere months.

Remus reached across to tuck a loose strand behind her ear and a flash went off.

"Sorry." Peter muttered, "you looked… pretty together."

Hermione blushed.

"SHE SAID YES!" James came screeching to a stop just before hitting the table, thankfully, interrupting the slightly awkward moment.

"Good on you mate!" Sirius clapped him on the shoulder and they gripped each other in what seemed to be a contest of 'who can give the most intense hug' as the other two boys congregated around them asking questions and congratulating him.

Lily sat between Portia and her with a grin and rosy, pink cheeks.

"So, moving in with Potter, huh?" Portia asked throwing a cocktail onion into the air and catching it with her mouth.

Lily nodded.

"That's a big step," Hermione thought aloud.

"You know," Lily frowned, "it doesn't feel like it is. It feels…"

"Natural?" Portia offered mindlessly. "Good, that's how it's supposed to feel." Looking up Portia noticed them staring at her and backtracked a bit. "At least that's what I've heard."

"You and James are going to be brilliant together," Hermione offered.

Lily straightened up, "we are, aren't we?"

It wasn't a question.

"Congratulations Blue. You know if he ever gets too much, just say the word, you can come over and I'll lock him out of the wards." Portia winked.

"In that case, I'd like to book a room for April first and each of the Marauders Birthdays." Lily grinned.

"Done." Portia nodded solemnly as Hermione and Lily laughed.

* * *

 

The night was finally drawing to a close. Portia couldn't have been happier, the entire thing had been rather exhausting, she was far too tired and the flower was playing on her mind.

"She goes to Hogwarts!" Peter chirped excitedly beside her. "I can't believe I've never seen her before."

"I can," Portia laughed, "for one, you boys get into so much mischief I'm surprised James even saw Lily, and two, she's a rather quite Hufflepuff, they're usually very small blips on the social radar."

"Could you just let me have this?" Peter pouted.

"Sorry Pete, continue."

"Nope," Peter slid down his seat, "you've ruined it. It's gone."

Dorea Potter moved to the grand staircase and began her conclusion speech. Thanking everyone for their company and hoping they have a safe trip home and a wonderful new year.

She knew it was slightly disrespectful, but her mind would not leave the flower.

What's dangerous, small and black?

Small and Black. _Little_ _Black_. That's what she'd called Regulus. If it was from Regulus then floriography would make sense since Sirius knew it. But then was it a call for help or a warning?

Suddenly people were standing and coat racks were floating around the room, twirling their cloaks back to their owners.

Peter reached for her coat and far too late she noticed the blonde shaking her head at her from across the room.

Portia leapt, grabbing onto Peter just as the Portkey activated and with that, they were gone.


End file.
